Coffee Breaks
by where'smynaya
Summary: Who says you can't fall in love at a coffee shop? Brittany and her best friend Quinn work together at the creatively named The Coffee Shop, but what happens when a certain Latina catches the blonde's blue eyes? With Quinn giving her that little push, will Brittany finally build the nerve to talk to the girl? BRITTANA (Check out the sequel, The Perfect Blend)
1. Chapter 1 Orange

CHAPTER 1

Could this day go by any slower? I would've thought that it being busy would make the day go by quicker, but that pass minute seemed like an hour. I guess it's just my nerves messing with me again because of my audition later on today; I haven't had a legit dance audition in like 3 weeks! The last couple times I've gone, they ended up being auditions for strippers. I mean, how was I supposed to know exotic dancers weren't the ones who dressed up in war paint and did the rain dance or were involved with the Broadway version of Lion King? Anyway I was open to it, but my best friend Quinn said that I was better than some amateur dancing on a pole and that I need to keep looking for that 'big break'. She's always looking out for me, even in high school she helped tutor me in pretty much all my subjects and got me the job here at The Coffee Shop. What an original name, right? Well, that's what Quinn said when she first told me about it, but I like it. It's straight to the point, when I hear the name; I know exactly what I'd find there.

"Britt, there goes your girl." Quinn teased as she pointed at the door of the coffee shop with her chin. My eyes shot to the glass door where in fact _she_ was approaching. "Here she comes.." She cheered as she hopped in place like a little puppy that had to pee really bad. I rolled my eyes and bit my lip. I instantly felt my palms heat up and my heart race pick up, I even had that queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. It's times like these when I regret telling her about who I found attractive; it's like endless taunting with her.

"Quinn..stop." I begged but she was already making her way to the cash register. I heard the bells clink signaling that _she_ had indeed come in. I stuffed the dish towel that I was using to wipe down the counters in my apron pocket and tried to sneak into the back room. I thought by tip toeing like on those spy movies I used to watch with my sister it would reduce my chance of getting caught, but I guess not.

"Oh no-no, get back here." I froze in my steps and slowly looked over my shoulder to find her staring at me with her hands on her hips. "Britt.." She narrowed her eyes at me and flicked her head to the side, motioning to come stand by her. I dropped my shoulders and dragged my feet over to where she was standing. "I'm tired of watching you stare longingly at her every time she comes in." She said sternly in a low voice so that only I could hear her. "You're talking to her today and that's that." I looked past her and saw the Latina move to the back of the line; from her usual outfit of knee length skirts, blazers, and the way she clung to her briefcase, I assumed she was some type of lawyer or worked in some big business. I looked over at the clock that hung on the back wall; 9:30am, right on schedule. "Come on, Britt, quit staring and help me."

"B-but.." I tried to pout and put on my best puppy dog eyes. I'm already nervous and the Latina hasn't even looked at me yet, who knows what would happen if she made me talk to her. Quinn just laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Like that works on me anymore." She teased and turned to face the customer two people ahead of a certain girl that Quinn was currently bugging me about.

"Fine." I huffed and stomped over to her side and waited for the order. I tried scowling, but I was never good at keeping an angry face on too long.

"Hi, what can I get you?" She said politely then she scribbled down the order on a cup and passed it to me. I took the cup and looked down at it with furrowed eyebrows. I never could understand how people could just write down some random letters and magically understand what the order was. I saw Quinn look over at me from the corner of my eye. "Oh sorry, B, she would like a tall Caramel Frappuccino." I looked up at her and nodded with a smile then walked over to the coffee machines and began making the drink.

"Tall Carmel Frap for Tina." I called and looked out into the crowd of customers until an Asian girl wearing weird goth clothes came to take the cup from me.

"Thanks, Brittany." She said kindly and took a sip. I looked at her quizzically. _How did she know my name? _"Seriously, Britt? We've met like 4 times, Mike's girlfriend? We're in the same English class? Ms. Holiday?"

"Oh yeah!" I laughed and instantly remembered who she was and how she knew my name.

"Plus you're wearing a name tag, Britt." She joked and tapped at my shirt where my badge was pinned. "Well, I'll see you in class tomorrow! Bye."

"Okay, sorry again! Tammy? Terry? Tina!" I called after her as I threw up my hand to wave goodbye. She sent me a confused look over her shoulder then laughed as she let the door close behind her. Man, I really need to get better at remembering names _and_ faces. I looked up from the counter and my eyes instantly landed on the Latina. Even while I was talking to Tila, my eyes kept finding her. Thank God she was too preoccupied in reading whatever was on her phone to notice, I'd have a pretty hard time explaining why I keep staring at her. I walked back over to Quinn who was holding out another cup. I tried to take it from her hands but she held on tightly. I looked up at her about to ask if she was stuck but caught her wiggling her eyebrows at me instead and trying to subtly nod to show me who was next in line.

"She's next!" She mouthed and gave me a wink. I huffed again and tugged the cup away from her hands and went back over to the coffee machine. I love the girl, but she can be so embarrassing sometimes! I stared down at the cup but realized I still didn't understand the scribbles.

"Q.." I asked as I waved the cup at her and gave her a questioning look.

"Oh, venti Vanilla Bean Macchiato." She answered as she pulled out a blueberry muffin from the display case and stuffed it into a brown paper bag then handed it over to some greasy haired guy in super tight clothes and a bowtie. I shuddered at the thought of how many bottles of gel he went through to get his hair so stiff and shiny like that.

"Venti Vanilla Bean Macchiato for Blaine." I called out as I slipped on one of those cardboard sleeves around the cup.

"That's me." He said as he waved a hand in the air and took the cup from my hand. "Thanks so much!" He said with a bright smile and walked away. I couldn't help but notice how high his pants ended, they didn't even touch his shoes! I bet his ankles get awfully cold in the winder time, especially since he wasn't wearing any socks. I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard Quinn calling for me again. I spun around to find her untying her apron and hanging it up on one of the hooks on the back wall near the sink.

"I'm going to run to the bathroom real quick while we don't have a line." Quinn said with a devilish grin. "You mind taking care of this one?" She tossed her head in the direction of the Latina she had been teasing me about even before she set foot in the place. She placed her hand on my shoulder and whispered into my ear, "Go get her, Britt-Britt." I rolled my eyes at her waved her away as I took a step closer to the register. The Latina still hadn't quite made it the front of the counter; her phone was now attached to her ear as she angrily talked into the receiver, her hand waving in the air as she talked.

"Listen to me, and you listen well, I'm not just one of your other sluts you can call up whenever for a damn booty call, Brooke. And for the record, I _do _think it's a little rude of you to invite yourself over when you clearly were with someone else not an hour before." I didn't want to seem like I was eavesdropping or something, but it was kind of hard not to listen when she was the only one left in the place. "No, you're right. You aren't my girlfriend, that's for damn sure." Girlfriend? So she did play for my team! Quinn's right, her gaydar is on point. I set my eyes on the girl again and watched how she clenched her jaw tight. She really did sound upset, and though I've only seen her here and never talked to her, I didn't like hearing her upset. "You know what, let me stop you right there." I took the moment to really get a close look at her; that thick dark brown hair that fell around her shoulders, those cheeks that I just wanted to pinch, her long eyelashes, her caramel colored skin, and her full lips that could be kissed for days. "Are you fucking kidding me?" I watched as her brows crinkled and her jaw set again as she listened to whatever the person was saying on the other line; they were clearly making her angry. Whoever this Brooke person was definitely was not treating her right and for some odd reason, that wasn't okay with me. Just then she looked over at me but I quickly averted my eyes down at the counter. "Whatever, Brooke, we'll talk about this later." She hung up the phone and slid it into her purse as she took a step closer to stand in front of me. "Sorry." She whispered. I didn't realize how dry my mouth hand gotten but I swallowed back some of those nerves and decided to speak.

"s'okay." I wanted to smack myself, my voice came out shaky sounding and low, I doubt she even heard me. To my surprise she looked up at me. I had never seen such deep brown eyes before, I felt like I was being drawn in, like they were begging to tell some type of story or secret. I had never seen her _this_ close before, usually because as soon as I saw her come in I'd run off somewhere to hide, but if I thought she was pretty being 3 feet away from her, she was beautiful now that I was up close. I didn't realize I was still staring at her until she narrowed her eyes on me and smirked.

"Aren't you going to take my order?" She asked with this tone that was sarcastic yet playfully teasing if that makes sense, definitely different from her angry voice on the phone. I blinked my way back to reality and nodded.

"Oh yeah-yeah, so what get you can I?" She laughed and gave me this funny look. I instantly felt my cheeks heat up and I knew I wasn't making a very good first impression. "I-I meant, what can I get you?" I tried to recover, but I knew I had already messed up my chances. She probably thinks I'm super weird and she'll never ever come in here again. Great, way to go Brittany!

"You're cute." If I wasn't fire engine red before, I definitely was now. I smiled down at the counter timidly and waited for her to give her order. "I come in here every day, are you telling me you don't know my drink order by now?" She asked in a sweet voice that made me look away from the counter and back at her. She was smiling brightly up at me then shrugged her shoulders.

"Y-yeah, I do." I stammered, trying my hardest not to make an even bigger fool out of myself. "I was just seeing if you were going to change it up today." She let out the most adorable laugh I'd ever heard then shook her head.

"Should I change it up today?" She asked in a tone that made it seem like she wasn't just talking about coffee as she dug into her purse and fished out her wallet.

"I don't know, change is good sometimes." I wasn't really sure if I was referring to her drink order or the fact that I could do better than this Brooke girl that had made her so angry, but she seemed to like the answer.

"Well then.." She squinted at my name tag. "Brittany..what's _your_ favorite here?" I thought long and hard about what my favorite was, but I really don't like picking favorites.

"Uhm, well I'm really into the Pumpkin Spice Latte right now since it's only a seasonal thing." I replied with a lot less stuttering. "Plus it's orange and orange is like one of my _most liked _colors." She smiled up at me again, it was one of those smiles I could tell she doesn't just use on everyone; you had to earn that kind of smile.

"Most liked colors?" She asked with her forehead wrinkled in confusion. "You mean _favorite_ colors?"

"Nope, I don't like picking favorites. I like all colors equally, but I think orange fits this occasion so you should order an orange drink!" I said cheerfully which made her laugh again.

"I like the way you think." She complimented. "Orange is actually my second favorite color, red being the first." The way she ran her fingers through her hair after saying that shot a chill through my body and I felt like I was covered in goose bumps. "I guess I'll have a venti Pumpkin Spice Latte then."

"Mmkay, coming right up." I answered as she handed over her money and I gave back her change. I didn't have to ask for her name or pretend to scribble down those letters since I was taking the order as well as making it. "Alright, one Pumpkin Spice Latte." I announced and slipped on a cardboard sleeve and waited for her to take it from my hand. She smiled and let her fingers brush past mine as she went for the cup. I felt like I was momentarily paralyzed by just that little physical contact, what is going on with me! Her skin was so soft against mine, I felt the urge to reach out and pull her hand back to me.

"Santana."

"Huh?" I was once again blinking myself back to reality.

"Santana, that's my name." She gave me another one of those special smiles before her phone started ringing again. She dug it out and scowled at the screen and answered. "What is it now? *pause* Fine, I'm on my way I'm just down the street. Bye." She hung up and stuffed the phone back into her purse then looked up at me. Her face instantly softened which was weird because she seemed really annoyed a minute ago. "Well, duty calls. It was nice meeting you, Brittany. See you around." She winked at me and spun around and headed out the doors. I felt like my knees were going to give out so I gripped the counter edge hard to keep me standing.

"Yeah, nice meeting you too." I said quietly as I watched her stroll out the door and down the street.

"So you got her number, right?" Quinn reappeared to the side of me as she threw her apron on. I was still staring out the windows hoping that she'd come back, but she didn't. "Britt?"

"Huh?" I mumbled and finally tore my eyes away from the windows to look at her smiling goofily at me. "What?"

"You look like a lovesick teenager." She teased and gave me a poke in the side that made me giggle.

"Not-uh! Plus, I'm not in love with her." I replied and went back to wiping down the counters to escape Quinn's judging. "I don't even know her." I mumbled as I scrubbed at the stains.

"So get to know her!" She said sternly. I looked over at her leaning up against the counters with her arms folded over her torso.

"She plays for my team.." I said in a quiet voice as I kept my eyes focused on anything but Quinn.

"WHAT?" She screeched and wrapped her arms around me. "You have a chance! You have a chance!" She cheered excitedly as she struggled to lift me.

"Put me down, silly, you can't carry me." I laughed and she set me back down in a big huff.

"Yes! I'm so happy for you, Britt!" she squealed again.

"Oh my God Quinn, you're acting like I just asked her out on a date." I groaned and went to organize the drink mixes. "All I did was find out her name."

"Oh? Well that's still something to be happy about, what was it?" She said, calming down a bit. I didn't respond right away, too focused on making sure I put the right mix in its place. "Do you remember it? I know how bad you are with names." I smiled to myself then directed it on Quinn.

"It's Santana." I said, even saying her name gave me chills. "I don't think I could ever forget her name." She smiled over at me affectionately.

"You're totally in love." She teased with her hands on her hips.

"Am not!" I shouted and threw the nearby dish towel at her face.

"Britt, what the hell?" She whined as she pulled off the wet towel, holding it by just her thumb and index finger before tossing it into the sink. "That was gross.."

"Take it back!"

"Take what back?" She asked innocently, but I knew her eyes were telling a different story. "That you're in love with Santana?"

"I'm not in love with her!" I whined and tossed a balled up napkin at her face at which she dodged it and threw a half eaten cookie at me.

"Yeah you are!"

"Not-uh!"

"Stop denying it!"

"NO!"

Somehow we ended up surrounded by cookie pieces, dirty dish towels, and balled up napkins while our faces were covered in a mixture of whipped cream and cinnamon. I had pinned Quinn against the counter and had a muffin in my hand ready to mush into her face if she said another word. "You are soooo in love with-"

"SANTANA!" I stepped away from Quinn and dropped the muffin in my hand when I saw the Latina approaching the counter with a skeptical look on her face. I looked down at my dirty shirt and apron then over to Quinn who looked equally messy.

"Uhh?" she stammered as she looked between me and Quinn then pressed her lips together. "I'm not even going to ask." She said with a breathy laugh and smile.

"D-Did you forget something?" I muttered, attempting to wipe away the whip cream from my face while trying to keep Quinn from elbowing me behind the counter.

"Mm, yeah..something to eat." Her eyes flickered over to the pastries display case. "Can't drink coffee with an empty stomach."

"I so did that once, it wasn't awesome." I chirped and pushed Quinn out the way so I could get to the display case. "So what would you like?" She stared down at all the choices then shrugged her shoulders.

"Surprise me." She said in this voice that made my legs wobble as she stood straight up again then smiled at me. I loved when she smiled at me; it just did something to me, made my tummy all fluttery or something. I looked behind me at Quinn who was hiding behind the coffee machine out of Santana's view and gave me a thumbs up. I rolled my eyes and swallowed back my nerves again. I ended up pulling out a chocolate chip muffin and handed it to the girl. She took a bite and hummed at its deliciousness. "How'd you know I love chocolate? You reading my mind?" She narrowed her eyes on me and smirked.

"Everyone loves chocolate." I shrugged and handed her a napkin while she paid for the muffin.

"That's true." She replied. She looked up at me and I looked down at her; it was like time stopped as I stared into her dark brown eyes, totally captivated. I didn't realize I was leaning in until she blinked her eyes and took a step back. "Well thanks for the muffin, I'll see you around." She started to turn from the counter. I looked over at Quinn who was frantically waving her arms. I didn't understand what she wanted so I just stood there and stared at her. She huffed and stood straight up just as the front door closed after the Latina.

"I was trying to remind you to get her number." She groaned and threw a hand to her forehead.

"Well how was I supposed to know what all that meant?" I asked with a laugh. "Besides, she comes in every morning. I've got tons more chances." I looked out the windows of the shop hoping that this was the start of something big.

"Okay lovergirl, let's get the place cleaned up."

"Still not in love."

"Yeah, you say that now.."

* * *

A/N Hey guys, I'm sort of taking a break from Workin' Girls for now..felt like doing a Brittany POV. Anyway, I've got a couple chapters written out already so let me know if I should keep this going. ( :


	2. Chapter 2 Showtime Audition

CHAPTER 2

This is how it was after each time she came in, I'd daydream about running my fingers through her dark brown locks, or wonder how her pouty lips would feel like against mine, even the softness of her tan skin under my fingertips until Quinn snapped me out of it. But today was different. Now that the best part of my morning had passed, there wasn't really much to distract me from thinking about the audition that I would be leaving for in a little over an hour. I'm not usually this nervous for an audition, dancing is like second nature to me; I'm never afraid to show off my skills. But not in a cocky way like those jerks from Zombie Mode who like to kick people out of the studio when they feel like practicing, they just like to show off and make money. Me, I like to dance because it's fun and sometimes I feel like it's the only thing I'm good at. It's my passion.

I know Quinn would disagree with me, but sometimes I just feel so.._dumb_. I was never good at school which is why Quinn always had to tutor me. I don't know, just everything didn't make sense to me. I often felt like a bother when I'd ask my teachers for help even though they've explained the lesson to me numerous times. After awhile I just sort of gave up on looking for help, that's when Quinn started coming over after school. I was a little hesitant at first because my past tutors would get annoyed with me because I wouldn't get it after hours of tutoring, but Quinn never got frustrated. She always took her time explaining everything to me, especially in math when she'd change the equations into stories, which really helped. She always had this softness in her voice when she was teaching things to me that was totally different from the harsh tones she used on the other students at McKinley. We were both on the Cheerios together; she was captain, so she had this reputation to uphold. I never understood why that type of stuff was so important to her or why she had to be so mean to people who stood in her way when she walked down the hallway, but she softened up a bit after she had Bella.

I still remember the day when she came to me saying that she was pregnant. At first I didn't believe it since she was captain of that club that says you can't have sex or something, I didn't even know she was dating anyone, but when she broke down crying in my arms while we were watching The Lion King I knew it had to be true. Quinn never cries. Well, I at first I thought it was just because Lion King can be a sad movie, but she started crying at the Hakuna Mutata part. That's my favorite part!

After finding out she was pregnant, everything changed for her; she wasn't the captain of the Cheerios anymore, she wasn't popular, her family kicked her out, she was just really broken. This is when our friendship grew closer; she needed someone when practically the whole world turned their backs on her. Being her independent self, Quinn didn't want anything to do with the father of the baby since he was a deadbeat anyway, she didn't even tell me who the guy was. My mom offered her to come live with us and though Quinn's pride often got in the way of her decision making, she accepted. Living with Quinn was pretty awesome, she was like the sister I never had! Well, I have a sister but she was young and didn't really understand when I'd vent to her about the garden gnomes stealing my panties or that time I found my bathtub covered in invisible chocolate. Actually, now that I think of it, Quinn really didn't understand that stuff either but it was still cool to have someone my own age to talk to.

I went with her to every doctor's appointment. The first couple appointments were weird though. Every time they put that gooey stuff on her tummy, which was still flat by the way, the doctor would point up at the screen at this little blob and say, "There's your baby, say 'Hi' mommy." I'd squint at the screen trying to find a baby but I never saw anything but this little peanut shaped blob. I figured it was something only the mom could see because every time the doctor would say that, Quinn would burst into tears and squeeze on my hand.

I'd say, "Don't cry, Q, you're baby will show up soon!" But she'd just laugh and pat my hand. I'd look at her strange because she would start doing this laughing and crying thing, but I just thought maybe it was her hormones, at least that's what my dad always said when my mom was pregnant with my sister Bryce. Anyway, Quinn went back and forth for most of her pregnancy trying to figure out if she wanted to keep the baby or not; she ended up keeping it. I was there for her when she went through her crazy obsession with bacon and even stayed in the delivery room when Bella was born. Though I didn't know who or what the biological dad looked like, there was no doubt in my mind that that baby girl was Quinn's; they were practically twins!

We both, well the three of us, ended up moving to New York after graduation and became roommates while attending school and working at The Coffee Shop. At first it was kind of hard to juggle school, work, and take care of a baby but it's been 4 years now and no one's dead or in jail so I think we did pretty good. Especially now that Bella's in preschool we don't need to change our schedules so that someone is home at all times, one of us is always off by the time her school ends anyway.

"Britt, you in there?" I heard someone say. For a second I thought I was going crazy, but when I saw pale fingers snap in front of my gaze I was brought back. "You were in pretty deep that time, you okay?" Quinn asked as she dropped her hand to the counter and cocked her head to the side, staring at me with worried eyes.

"No, yeah..I'm okay. Just zoned out for a bit." I reassured her and went back to sweeping up the broken cookies and muffin pieces from our previous food fight.

"Oh, okay. Just checking." She shrugged and wiped away at the counter. "Your audition is in like 30 minutes, you nervous?"

"Mm, nah." I said, not looking up from the mess on the floor. "Well, kinda yeah. I just hope it's not another 'exotic dancer' one again."

"Yes, please, don't let me find you auditioning on a pole again." She laughed. "I mean, since when did you even learn how to dance on-" She cut herself off and shook her head. "Actually, never mind, I don't wanna know."

"Hey, if it wasn't for that audition we would've never met Sam." I replied with a wave of my hand. "Still think you two would look super cute together, just saying."

"Oh my God, no. That's never gunna happen." She said sternly. I took a glance up at her and saw the pinkness in her cheeks. I don't know why Quinn was so guarded all the time, but she should really give him a chance. Sam's a nice guy and he's also become one of my best friends, third to Quinn and Bella of course. It's confusing; I _see _the way she looks at him and I _know_ how he feels about her. Just get together already!

"Yeah, you say that now.." I mimicked her reply from earlier. Her head shot up as she attempted to give me her death glare, but she could never hold that look with me.

"Just drop it Britt." She said, her shoulders dropping in defeat.

"Oh, so you can tease me about Santana but I can't with Sam?" I huffed with my hands on my hips. "You're being a hippo." She stared at me with questioning eyes, her forehead wrinkled with confusion.

"Did you just call me a hippo?" She asked with an eyebrow quirked up.

"Yes, yes I did." I answered triumphantly.

"Yeah, Britt, I'm not getting it.." She said with a shake of her head then narrowed her eyes back on me again. "Hippo?"

"Yes! Hippo, like hypocrite!" I answered matter-of-factly as I watched her mouth and 'ohh'. "Geez, and I'm the st-"

"Britt. Don't even finish that sentence." She said sternly then looked over at the clock on the wall. "Oh! You should probably get out of here soon, it's almost 3:30." I looked in the direction of the clock near the sink, but got frustrated when I couldn't read what all those lines meant and decided to just take her word for it. I took off my apron and hung it on the hook before running to the bathroom to change into my dancing clothes. I had about 20 minutes to get ready and be at the place of the audition so my adrenaline was definitely pumping now. I sprinted pass Quinn to grab my water and took another glance at the clock near the sink.

"Ugh, why do we even have that?!" I groaned and dug into my pocket for an easier way to find the time.

"That's why we have the digital clock on the wall over there, B." Quinn laughed and nodded in the direction of the other clock.

"Right. Well, that's just silly to have two clocks." I replied blatantly. "Anyway, I better go now. I don't wanna be late."

"Yeah, okay. Good luck, you don't need it!" She waved then gave a thumbs up to me as I closed the door behind me. I decided to walk there since it wasn't really that far away and it was a good way to work off some of my nerves. Mike said the place was called Showtimes, he said something about his girlfriend was a bartender there and that the owner was looking for better back up dancers. I never heard of the place, but I was really hoping it wasn't another strip club. After a 15 minute walk, I arrived at the entrance. It was a gaudy looking building with: red ropes set up along the side wall, red carpet laid out between the wall and the ropes, and a huge flashy sign that reminded me of those vintage movie theater signs with all the colorful lights that read 'Performing Tonight And Any Other Night: Rachel Berry'. I stared up at the sign thinking how amazing it would look at night when all the lights were on, so cool. I walked in and was instantly met with a tall muscular looking guy with tan skin wearing a well fitted dark grey tux and an overly confident grin on his face.

"You must be Brittany Pierce." He said as he offered his hand to shake. "I'm Noah Puckerman."

"Nice to meet you." I replied politely as I shook his hand. He smiled and turned on his heels and flicked his wrist to signal me to follow him.

"Yeah, Mike told me you were a really good dancer." He said as we walked down a narrow hallway that wasn't really brightly lit and it kind of made me nervous. He looked over his shoulder as if he was expecting a reply from me. I gulped and nodded slightly. He laughed and pushed open a door that was very well lit, almost blindingly bright. I squinted my eyes, trying to readjust to all the light before I trip over something or run into the guy. "Sorry, I'm getting an electrician to come check out those hallway lights tomorrow morning. Damn things never work." He said with a breathy laugh then directed me into this studio like room with tons of mirrors and a hardwood floor. I instantly felt myself ease up a bit at the familiar environment that I didn't realize the others in the room. I slid my foot across the wood with my eyes closed, like I was testing the water before jumping into the pool, then rolled onto the tip of my toe and did a quick spin to see if I had to worry about my shoes squeaking against the floor. I didn't; the spin was smooth and for a second I forgot I was being watched.

"Oh yeah, I like her already." The elf looking boy said, bringing me back to reality.

"Sorry." I muttered as I looked down at my feet timidly. Noah placed a gentle hand on my back and chuckled.

"No worries, you're here to show us you can move. I'd be upset if you didn't do a little twirl or something." He said reassuringly then pointed over to the others in the room. "That fruit loop is Kurt, Rachel's stylist." He pointed at the elf that was waving his hand at me and smiling. "That goof is Finn, Rachel's bodyguard." He pointed at the oversized guy with dopy grin as the guy nodded over at me. "That princess is Sugar, Rachel's makeup artist." He smiled over at the girl who was lounging on the couch reading a magazine who peeked out the top of her sunglasses at the sound of her name. "And-"

"Hello, pleasure." A tiny brunette came out of nowhere and greeted me with a toothy grin. "I'm Rachel Berry." She curtsied and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Yeah, and that's Rachel." Noah said nodding to the small girl before leaning into whisper, "Sorry, she's a little full of herself sometimes."

"Oh, like you're one to talk!" She groaned and stomped off to sit next to Sugar. "Well, let's get this thing going. I haven't got all day!" Noah rolled his eyes at the girl and nodded to Kurt who then walked over to a large sound system.

"Okay Brittany, we're just going to play the music and you just have at it. We're just looking to see if you can adapt." I smiled and made my way to the center of the room. What he didn't know was that improv was my specialty. "Alright Kurt, go ahead." Soon music filled the room and I just stood there for a minute just trying to find the rhythm. I knew this song, I've practiced to this song, this audition was in the bag! I let my body move freely to the music, letting my limbs glide through the air, my feet sliding across the floor as my hair swirled around me. I was only really getting into it for about a minute when the music was cut off.

"Woah." The room breathed out in unison. I looked around at the crowd as practically everyone had the jaws hanging. Noah stepped forward clapping his hands.

"Holy shit, you are _so_ hired!" He exclaimed. Now it was my turn to for my jaw to drop.

"S-S-Seriously?" I stammered. "I mean I only danced for like a minute.."

"Exactly, that's all it took! You are definitely hired." Noah restated as the rest of the group cheered me on. Tears welled up in my eyes and I smiled so hard my cheeks hurt. "Woah, don't cry. Uhh, Kurt get your rainbow self over here!" Kurt skipped over and put his arms on my back comfortingly.

"Happy tears?" He asked quietly as he dipped his head low to find my eyes. "Wow, you've got some really pretty eyes." He complimented that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I looked up at him then threw my arms around his neck. "Oh, she's a hugger!" He announced sounding a little shocked. I thought about removing my arms, I was sort of bad when it came to the rules about personal space, but to my surprise I felt his arms on my back.

"Alright Prancy, let go of my new hot dancer." Noah's voice rang out over us and I let my arms fall to my sides.

"She's not for your team, Noah, sorry." Kurt said with an eye roll and bumped me with his hip. I was never ashamed of my sexuality; even after I came out to my parents they just shrugged and said 'thought so'. I mean, it wasn't the first thing I announced when I met someone knew but I'd never deny it if someone ever asked.

"Wait, how'd you know?" I asked with a laugh and narrowed my eyes at him. "Are you a secret agent that's been following me around since the day I was born?" He laughed and shook his head then picked up my right hand and sprawled my fingers out.

"Hands." He said with a cheeky grin that made me blush as I snatched my hand away.

"Wait, really?" Noah asked with his brows furrowed.

"Yeah, totally. I like pee glitter and rainbows." I answered bluntly that made Kurt laugh again.

"Join the club, sweetie." He said as he rubbed at my back then looked over at Noah. "I love this girl already!"

"Darn, well that's all good! Just no lady sexin' in the dressing rooms." Noah shrugged then went to his office to get some paperwork for me to fill out. After about 30 minutes I was back at the apartment I shared with Quinn and Bella.

"Britty! Britty! Britty!" I heard a familiar little girl's voice squeak from a far. I shut the door behind me and took off my shoes as I walked further into the house to find the source of the voice. "Lemme go, mommy, I wanna see Britty!"

"Wait, Bella!" Just as I passed the living room, a very naked 4 year old came bounding around the corner at full speed.

"Britty!" She squealed as she hopped excitedly at my feet with her arms raised above her wet head.

"Hey Peanut, streaking already?" I asked as I picked the girl up in my arms. "That's not supposed to happen till your college years, trust me, I know."

"Britt, do not go telling my child about your streaking days." Quinn huffed as she rounded the corner with her hair pulled up in a ponytail as she held out a bright pink towel for Bella. "She is way too young for that." I handed over the girl to Quinn so that she could finish the rest of her bath. I watched as Bella held on tight to her mom's neck as she hauled her back to the bathroom. "Baby, you can't go running out of bath time like that.."

"Ooh, you're in trouble.." I teased as I wiggled a finger at Bella who just giggled away in her mom's arms.

"Britt! Don't instigate!"

"Boo, I don't even have an iphone so that doesn't even make sense!" I yelled back and went to go change into something other than sweat pants and a loose shirt. A few minutes later Bella came out fully clothed and dry and crawled up onto my lap while I was watching tv. "Hey Bells, how was preschool?" I asked as I ruffled her short blonde hair. The little girl went on to talk about all the fun new games they played and all the friends she was making. I couldn't help but smile at her innocence, everything was new for her and she was just beginning to experience it all. So exciting.

"Oh Britty? Did you talk to that pretty girl yet?" She asked with hopeful eyes.

"You always ask me that." I laughed and focused my attention back on the tv.

"Britty! You didn't answer the question!" I smiled down at the girl and nodded my head 'yes'. She squealed then started bouncing in my lap as she flooded my ears with questions about the Latina. I couldn't help but let my mind wander back to the conversation I had with her earlier today, though it only lasted about 10 minutes, it was the best 10 minutes of my life.

"Are you in love now, Britty?" Bella asked with a smirk.

"Geez, you're just like your mom." I whined and tossed my head back against the couch.

"Relax Bella, don't talk Brittany's head off." Quinn said as she plopped down on the other side of the couch. I gave her a confused look, but before I could say anything, Bella was already on it.

"Mommy, that's silly. You can't talk anybody's head off.." The little girl said as she folded her arms over her chest in a way that practically screamed Quinn.

"Woah, that was so weird." I laughed and looked down into Bella's hazel eyes. "I'm gunna start calling you mini-Q." She pouted and buried her head in my stomach. I hated when she pouted so I began tickling her sides until she started smiling again.

"S-Stop Britty, I'm g-gunna p-potty all over y-you!" I instantly pulled my hands back and watched as the girl crawled over into Quinn's lap. "I got you!" She winked and wrapped her arms around Quinn's neck.

"Meanie." I said and poked out my tongue at her but the girl just giggled away and sat down in Quinn's lap.

"So how'd the audition go?" Quinn asked as she brushed her fingers through her daughter's hair.

"Okay I guess." I shrugged. "I mean, they hired me after dancing for just a minute. No biggie."

"WHAT?" Quinn choked, causing Bella to look up at her mom worriedly. "You got the job?!"

"YEAH!" I screamed with a big smile.

"AHHH!" She yelled and bounced on the couch in excitement as Bella looked at both of us like we were crazy.

"Mommy, stop, what's wrong? Do you have to potty?" She asked innocently as she cupped Quinn's cheeks in her tiny hands. Me and Quinn looked at each other and laughed. "What is wrong with you guys? You're being silly.."

"Sorry baby, we're just super happy cause Britt got a dancing job!" Quinn said to her daughter who was anxiously waiting for an explanation.

"A dancing job?" The girl asked in awe as she looked over at me with wide eyes. "You're gunna be famous now, Britty?"

"Not quite yet, Peanut, but maybe one day." I answered and sat further into the couch. "One day."

"Are you gunna tell the pretty girl about your new job?" She asked with her head cocked to the side.

"Yeah, are you?" Quinn mocked with a sly grin as she mimicked her daughter's movements. I mean, I could always invite her to one of the performances or something. That would be cool! Then again, I don't want that Brooke girl to get angry with her for watching me dance. I don't condone cheating, if that even count as cheating. But Santana did say she wasn't her girlfriend so maybe it would be okay. Why am I even thinking about this, I haven't even had my first day of work there yet!

"I don't know, maybe.."

* * *

A/N Sorry, not much Brittana in this chapter..still setting everything up. I've already got the first 10 chapters planned out so they'll be back next chapter for sure! ( : Thanks for all the lovely reviews, hope I'm keeping you interested.


	3. Chapter 3 Lunch Breaks

A/N Wow, thank you for all those reviews on the first chapter! Most I've ever gotten! As promised, here's more Brittana. Let me know.

* * *

CHAPTER 3

"It's almost time, Britt!" Quinn chirped as she pointed her chin in the direction of the digital clock on the wall. I came out of the back room holding a box of more cups, trying to take a peek at the time when my shoe caught the edge of the crate that was sitting on the floor causing me to lose my balance. I dropped the box and flailed my arms about, stretching for some type of brace which ended up being Quinn's body.

"Whoops, sorry Q." I mumbled as I regained my balance and looked down at all the spilled cups and pouted.

"For someone who's such a great dancer, you sure are clumsy sometimes." She laughed and bent down to help me restack the cups. "Hey, stop pouting it was an accident." She teased and bumped me a little with her shoulder causing me to smile. "There we go, don't want Santana to see you with your lip all poking out when she comes in." She winked and glanced up at the clock again. "10 more minutes!"

"You seem more excited to see her than I am." I laughed and picked up the box and set it on the back counter. "Back off, I saw her first." I said and narrowed my eyes at her. She laughed and threw her arms up in defeat.

"Not my type, Britt, so you don't have to worry about that." I gave her one last warning glare and nodded.

"Well, it's Wednesday." I huffed and leaned against the counter on my elbows.

"Yeah? So?" Quinn asked skeptically as she came to stand next to me.

"Wednesdays mean that she won't come in till 12:45." I shrugged and stared longingly out the window.

"Oh wow, Britt, that's not creepy at all." She said as she patted on my head before walking off. "You even know her schedule? Creeper."

"Observations, they're just observations." I defended myself and I stood straight up and spun around to face Quinn. She had her hands on her hips, her lips curled in a smirk.

"No, that's just love.." She cooed and scrunched her nose at me.

"Ughh, don't start that again." I groaned and focused my attention on the 3 customers that walked in, none of which were the Latina I had been anxiously waiting for though I knew she wouldn't be in for another 3 hours. I heard Quinn mumble something but I didn't catch what she said, probably more teasing about Santana. "Hi, what can I get for you?" I greeted cheerfully when the young lighter haired brunette girl approached the counter.

"Hey, uhm..I'll just get a hot chocolate." She answered timidly as she glanced up at me with shy eyes. I watched as the other two behind her; another young girl with long curly blonde hair and a lanky boy with shaggy brown hair, huddled together and giggled. I looked at the girl in front of me then back at the other two. I wondered if they were all friends or something and if so why were they laughing at the girl? It wasn't any of my business so I looked back down at the teen and smiled.

"Okay cool, what size?" I nodded and pointed over at the cup sizes. I saw the teens behind her poke at the girl's back and watched as she threw a glare over her shoulder at them.

"Uhh, sma-tall..tall." She stuttered and looked back at me shyly.

"Alrighty, sma-tall it is!" I joked, somewhat hoping to calm the girl since she was obviously nervous for some reason. My plan backfired as I watched her cheeks turn a bright pink and spun around to hit the lanky boy who was trying to stifle his laughter. I was probably just embarrassing her even more. "Can I get a name?" I asked as I picked up one of the cups and flicked off the cap of the marker, ready to write. I tucked some hair behind me ear and focused on writing on the cup, but looked up when I didn't hear her speak. "Name?" I asked again.

"Uhhh, H-H-Heather.." She stuttered again. I concentrated on the cup in my hands and attempted to spell out her name. All I got was 'H' and 'E' before finishing the name with scribbles.

"Mmkay, Quinn will bring it out to you in a second." I said after handing back her change and watched as the other two followed the girl over to the other counter to wait, constantly whispering to each other and stealing glances at me. Kids these days, so weird. I shrugged and looked back out the window hoping that maybe Santana would go off schedule and come in early. Quinn handed the nervous girl her drink and I watched as the three left the shop.

"Wow Britt, you are totally oblivious." Quinn breathed as she came by my side and looked out the window too.

"Huh? No I'm not!" I choked out offended. "Actually, I don't even know what that means.."

"That girl definitely has the hugest crush on you." Quinn joked as she nodded to the threesome who kept looking through the windows from the outside.

"Really?" I asked a little confused.

"Yeah! She turned red every time you looked at her! I mean, it's inevitable B. You're smoking!" She laughed and shook her head. "It was cute though."

"Huh, I guess I wasn't really paying attention." I shrugged. I was definitely not interested, especially when they were just some high schoolers. That's gross. Plus, I have my eyes set on something else.

"Too busy thinking about Santana?" She teased and poked me in the cheek.

"Nooo." I lied and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Uh huh, sure." She winked and walked off into the back room.

_2 hours and 56 minutes later;_

"It's almost time, Britt!" Quinn cheered as she hopped excitedly at the sink. "For real this time. See, look at the time! 12:41!" I was working on controlling my nerves whenever it was nearing the time for the Latina to make an appearance but with Quinn bouncing around like a Bella when she had to pee wasn't really helping.

"Quinn. Control yourself." I said sternly more so trying to take my own advice but one look at the time had me just as nervous as that teenage girl from earlier. "Oh, whatever." I sighed and hopped around with Quinn for a couple seconds before pulling away when I heard the bells chime.

"Here we go. I'm going to go check on the newbie, she's been in the back for awhile now." Quinn whispered in my ear and disappeared into the back room. I gulped and tried my best to steady myself on the counter as the Latina sauntered up to the register. Since today was Wednesday, she had on a tight black knee-length skirt that clung to her curves in all the right places and a light grey button-up long sleeve shirt with the cuffs rolled up to her forearms, the first few buttons were undone displaying just enough cleavage so it wasn't slutty. She always wears black and light grey on Wednesday. The sound of her high heels clicking against the wooden floor as she entered through the door made my heart race for some reason. Even from afar, I was drawn to the deepness of her dark brown eyes. I watched as her cheeks bunched up and her lips pulled into a grin. The smile nearly knocked the wind out of me but I remained standing.

"Well hello there, Brittany, no food fights today?" The sound of her voice made the hairs on the back of my neck stand and I automatically felt my body tensing. I smiled down at the counter shyly, attempting to hide my flushed cheeks, before looking back up at her. "You alright?" She asked with a little bit of concern in her eyes. I pressed my lips tightly together and nodded slowly.

"Mhmm." I mumbled. I had no idea why it was so hard for me to form words all of a sudden. I swallowed back that lump in my throat and licked my lips. "I-I mean, yeah..I'm alright." I stuttered and watched as the girl cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes at me.

"You sure?" She asked skeptically. "You're not sick are you?" Her lips curled into a smirk as she glanced at me sideways. I shook my head 'no', and tried to smile my best at her. "Oh, okay just checking." She shrugged and looked up at the menu board behind me. As she studied the menu, I took the moment to admire her jaw line and how defined her collar bones were. I felt the urge to reach out and run my fingers along them, wondering how soft her skin was but I decided against; that might make me look a little weird and I definitely don't want to give her any more reason to think that then I already have. Too late, she caught me staring. "So, what am I getting today?" She asked with a grin as I struggled to keep cool. Focus, Brittany, focus.

"Uhm, well did you like the Pumpkin Spice Latte?" I asked shyly with a little shrug and peeked up at her hoping she wouldn't notice my flushed cheeks.

"Yeah! It was really good." She replied happily. "You're totally right, I should change it up every now and then." She shrugged and dug in her purse for her wallet. "So from now on you'll decide what I'll order."

"Really? But what if I pick something you don't like?" I asked with wide eyes but she just shrugged it off.

"Then I won't let you pick that one for me again." She said as she looked up at me with kind eyes, different from her usual stormy ones that made her seem so mysterious. "But I'm pretty sure you wouldn't pick anything I wouldn't like. I trust you." I felt my breath hitch at her words. _I trust you._ She probably didn't mean anything special by it, but I definitely felt honored. "So what'll it be for today?"

"Hm, sounds like something I should be saying." I laughed, feeling a little bit of my nerves ease up the more we talked. "Well, you like chocolate right?" She nodded. "Hm, how about the White Hot Chocolate?" I suggested. "Have you had that before?"

"Nope, but I'm sure I'll love it if it's chocolate!" She replied happily and handed me her credit card. "Let me get a tall one and throw in a Ham and Swiss Panini too." She added as she pointed over at the display case to the sandwich. I nodded and looked around to see if Quinn was done talking to the newbie, Christy, yet. She wasn't, well she probably was but she just chose to hide back there so I would be the only one who could serve the Latina. She's sneaky like that.

"Is it to-go?" I asked behind the coffee machine as I filled her cup with the hot chocolate.

"Nope, I've got a little more time than usual." She answered as she scrolled through her phone. I was a little shocked because after her order she'd rush out; she always seemed like she was in a hurry. I wasn't complaining though, more time to be in her presence.

"Okay, here's your drink." I said as I slid the cup on the counter to her. "I'll get your sandwich in a sec." I shuffled around to the case, grabbing a white square plate in the process, and pulled out the Panini. "Mmkay, here you go." I looked over to see her frowning at her phone; just like when she was talking on the phone to that Brooke girl, I didn't like seeing her so upset.

"Oh, thanks." She said, her voice came out as a whisper, I don't think she meant to sound like that though by the way she cleared her throat and smiled up at me after speaking.

"Yeah, no problem." I smiled and watched as she took a seat at a two-seater table near the windows. I watched as she stared out into the busy streets, almost longingly. I instantly wanted to know what had the girl so distraught but I knew that it was none of my business.

"Psssst.." I straightened up and let my eyes flicker from side to side. "Psst, Britt.." I looked down at the bag of coffee beans in my hand and pulled it to my ear.

"Hello?" I said suspiciously, the bag of coffee beans still an inch away from my ear.

"Really, Britt?" This time I knew who's voice it was and spun around to face Quinn who was hiding in the doorway of the back room. "I've told you before, coffee beans don't talk.."

"Hey! You were a little freaked out too when you heard whispers and no one else was here but me!" I replied defensively, my arms folding over my chest as I narrowed my eyes at her. She just laughed and shook her head.

"Whatever." She huffed with a smile then glanced past me at Santana. "She's sitting alone." I looked behind me to see if she was referring to Santana.

"Yeah." I shrugged, not really getting why she was telling me that. "So?" She let out a sigh and shook her head again at me then shouted over her shoulder into the back room.

"Hey newbie! I'm sending Britt on her lunch break now, cover for her." Quinn glanced back over at me. "You'll thank me later." She said confidently and waved her hands for me to go.

"It's not nice to keep calling that poor girl 'newbie', she has a name.." I said quietly as I took off my apron and reached for my lunch I had brought from home.

"Whatever. Go sit with her!" She whispered as she hopped excitedly in place. I rolled my eyes at her behavior. I was usually the playful one, but when it comes to my crushes Quinn definitely beats me.

"She probably doesn't want to be bothered, Q." I tried to suggest but Quinn wasn't having any of my excuses. She placed her hands on her hips and stared at me with one of the looks she used on Bella when she'd refuse to go to bed on time. "Ugh, fine.." I huffed and quietly walked over to the girl. My palms were heating up again the more I got closer to her. Get it together, Pierce, you can do this! "Uhm, c-can I sit with you? I don't like sitting alone.." I asked sweetly, and just for good measures, added my puppy dog eyes and pout that no one could ever resist. She looked up at me, blinking a couple times, then nodded.

"Uh, y-yeah." She stammered and cleared the space across from her on the table for me. "It's always nice to have someone to sit with." She smiled over at me as she sipped on her drink. "By the way, super good." She said, wiggling the cup in her hand as she took another sip. "You've got a gift there, Brittany."

"I do?! Where?" I asked excitedly, looking on the floor from side to side. I heard her laugh and looked up to see her eyes tightly shut and her face all scrunched up. My heart fluttered at her cuteness.

"Sorry, I meant figuratively speaking.." She said as her giggling calmed. I nodded understandingly; I was never good at catching those kinds of jokes. There was a new silence over us as she stared out the window again with that same look of despair in her eyes. I felt the urge, no, the need, to comfort her but I wasn't sure how. I fiddled with my hands in my lap before pulling out my lunch, a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich. Quinn always makes the best pb&b's, they started off being just for Bella when she went to school but I grew a liking to them as well. Plus, she doesn't like it when I use the stove without her 'supervision', something about too many 'close calls'. It's whatever though; she makes them better than I would anyway. I peeled away the aluminum foil, the crinkling sound catching the attention of the Latina as I took a bite. I felt eyes on me so I slowly looked up at her and grinned. "What's that?" She asked puzzled.

"Fried peanut butter and banana sandwich." I answered with a wad of food bulging at my cheek. I watched as her brows furrowed and assumed she's never had one before. "You wanna try it? It's really good." I suggested and waved the sandwich at her teasingly. She eyed the sandwich as if almost considering the offer, but then shook her head.

"Mm, nah..I've got my own sandwich to finish." She replied and took another bite of hers. The phone vibrated against the table and I watched as she stared down and it. Whatever she was looking at got her flustered again as I saw how she clenched her jaw and purse her lips together.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked with concerned eyes without even thinking. She looked up at me and the muscles in her jaw seemed to relax. I didn't notice that I was leaning towards her on my elbows so I quickly shuffled back against my seat and apologized. "S-sorry, none of my business. Sorry." I shoved as much of my sandwich into my mouth in hopes that it would prevent anymore word vomit and maybe the girl wouldn't yell at me for being nosy.

"That's okay." She said with a smile and turned the phone over so that the screen was face down. "It's kind of refreshing to meet someone that seems so..sincere." There was that look in her eyes again, but I wasn't sure if it was sadness or something else. She was unreadable. "You should really take smaller bites, you look like a chipmunk." She laughed as she stared at my bulging cheeks. I quickly chewed and swallowed so that I was able to talk again.

"Chipmunks are cute though.." I defended, my lips uncontrollably forming into a pout as I stared down at my half eaten sandwich. I heard her giggle again and I looked up to see her looking happy again.

"Yes, chipmunks _are_ cute." She mumbled looking down then glanced up at me."You and that pout." She teased and shook her head with a smile. "You must do a lot of damage with that look." I tried to fight off the heat that was quickly creeping up on my cheeks and bit down on my bottom lip. We stared at each other for what seemed like forever before I decided to break the trance and look over to the counter where Christy, the newbie, was standing. I felt the table shake and looked down to see Santana rolling her eyes and reaching for the phone. I watched as she brought the phone to her ear and the muscles in her jaw tense up again. "What now? *pause* Yes, I read them. And? *pause* I really don't want to talk about this right now, Brooke. *pause* Just stop. We'll talk about this later." She hung up the phone and brought a hand to her forehead kneaded at her brows with her fingertips as she let out a deep sigh. I felt uncomfortable, like I had listened in on a conversation that I wasn't supposed to hear even though I only heard Santana's replies. I looked back over at the counter where Christy was and saw Quinn was now standing by her side watching me intently. I gave her a confused look but all she did was wave her hands for me to do something. But that's the thing, I didn't know _what_ to do!

I was only confident I was good at two things; one was dancing and the other was making pep talks. With a sudden rush of confidence, I inched my hand across the table and placed it on hers. At first, the touch was electric, but after the sudden shock of actually feeling her cool skin against my warm fingertips I calmed down a bit. "Hey.." I said in a soft voice as I dipped down to find her eyes. She looked up at me through her thick eyelashes and did a half grin. "Don't let them get the best of you." I rubbed a circle on the back of her hand slowly. "I know we barely know each other, but if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here." I said. "I'm a good listener, promise." I smiled at her genuinely hoping that I'd see a smile out of her.

I did.

"Thanks, Brittany, I'll keep that in mind." She replied with a grin and glanced at the time. "Shit. I've gotta start heading back to work now." She huffed and stood up to throw her trash away then turned back to face me. "Thanks for keeping me company. See you tomorrow, Chipmunk." She winked and headed out the door. I sat there a minute just pondering her new nickname for me. I thought back to what she said earlier._ Yes, chipmunks are cute._ Did that mean she thought I was cute? Or just chipmunks are cute? My thoughts ran circles in my head as I continued over thinking the new name for the rest of the day while putting up with Quinn's constant teasing about the 'love of my life' and our 'first date'.


	4. Chapter 4 Run-In's, Literally

A/N I'm really happy about all the reviews I've been getting, you guys are definitely pushing me to churn out chapters faster! I see you guys are really getting anxious about this Brooke girl, but patience my friends. You'll meet her soon.

* * *

CHAPTER 4

_Three Weeks Later;_

I was at the Showtimes studio getting some of my stretching done before the rest of the other back up dancers showed up. I always show up about 15 minutes early just to get warmed up because the choreographer now never made us do warm ups even though it's like the most important thing to do before practice. Less injuries, you know? Anyway, I've come to really love the job even though I think I could choreograph better than that Shue guy. I'm not being cocky either; it's just some of the dances don't even go well with the music. Maybe it's just me, but when I dance I like to listen to the story of the song and move my body to that rather than solely on the beats.

"Hey Brittany, what are you doing here so early?" Noah's voice startled me as he walked casually into the mirrored room. "Oh, sorry! Didn't mean to scare you." He laughed and threw his hands up defensively.

"Oh it's okay, I was just getting lost in my thoughts." I mumbled and looked back down at my out stretched leg and leaned to it with my arms aiming for my toes. "I like to do a little more warming up before everyone else comes in." He crossed his arms over his broad chest and leaned against the wall.

"That's some good work ethic you got there." He complimented. "How do you feel about Shue?" I looked up to find him staring down at me intently. I didn't know what he was trying to ask so I just shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know, he's nice I guess. But I told you I'm gay, remember?" I replied and switched legs to stretch again. He laughed, his shoulders bouncing with each chuckle.

"Uh, not what I meant.." He said with the shake of his head. "I mean, do you think he's a good choreographer?" I gulped, I didn't like where this was going.

"Uhm.." I mumbled but I really didn't want to answer. I didn't like talking about someone behind their back like that. What if what I say got him in trouble? Or worse, fired?

"It's okay Brittany." He said softly. "I was just asking because I've seen you dance on your own, freestyle, and it's so much better than what that douche comes up with." He shrugged and shifted his weight on the wall. "Have you ever choreographed before?" I stopped stretching and looked up at him with wide eyes.

"What are you trying to say?" I asked slowly. I definitely don't want to be responsible for that guy getting fired, let alone stealing his job!

"I'm saying, do you want to be the new choreographer for the girls?" He asked with a grin. I was speechless, I've only been working here for about 3 weeks, there's no way he couldn't find a better replacement. "I really think you'd do a great job."

"I-I uhh..I don't want to steal his job." I stammered, feeling my brows furrow as I spoke. "I just wouldn't feel right about that, especially since I've only been here 3 weeks."

"Don't worry about that, Brittany." He replied and took a seat up against the wall, facing me. "I've already talked to him beforehand. He doesn't even like choreographing; he's more of singing guy." I felt my whole body relax at hearing that Noah had already talked to him and if I agreed to the job it wouldn't take the guy by surprise.

"Are you sure you want me to do it?" I asked in disbelief. "There isn't anyone else?"

"Totally, you're just the person for the job!" He answered confidently and stood up. "So, you in?" I pondered the thought for a moment.

"Yeah, I'm in."

_4 Hours Later;_

After knowing that I wasn't really 'stealing' anyone's job, I became extremely excited. I had already changed up some of the previous routines on my own so today's practice was mostly showing the rest of the girls what I had come up with. They actually really liked the new choreography which helped calm my nerves of being the one in charge. Right after the talk with Noah, I really wanted to call Quinn and tell her but most of the girls started filing in and I ran out of time. Plus, I would much rather tell her in person so I could see the look on her face.

As soon as practice ended I was running down the street, dodging pedestrians as I held my phone to my ear. "I'm not telling you what it is yet!" I said into the receiver.

"Well can I at least get a hint?" Quinn asked with a huff. I could sense she was probably getting impatient ever since I told her I was stopping by work to tell her a surprise.

"No, no hints!" I replied, my voice wavering a little. "Okay fine, it has something to do with dancing.." I heard her squeal and had to pull the phone away from my ear it was so loud.

"YOU GOT A PROMOTION!" She yelled then I heard her voice a little further away from the phone. "What newbie? I can't celebrate?" She said harshly and it made me roll my eyes but I wasn't going to scold her again since she guessed my secret on the first try.

"Wait, how did you know? Are you psycho?" I asked suspiciously, catching the eyes of the people who walked by me.

"What the hell?" Quinn asked. "Oh, psychic. No Britt, I'm just a really good guesser!" She cheered. "I can't believe you got a promotion so fast! So proud of you."

"Thanks Quinn."

"Wait, are you going to work both jobs?" She asked. I didn't even think about that, but I had to keep working at The Coffee Shop, I just _had_ to.

"Yeah, I'll work at The Coffee Shop during the mornings and work at Showtimes at night." I suggested. "I have to keep my job at shop though."

"Santana?" Quinn asked. I didn't even need to see her face; I knew she'd be giving me that narrow eyed smirk. I was nearing the building so I decided to speed up my running.

"Well duh! How else am I supposed to run into-" The door of the shop flung open and I ran straight into it, dropping my phone and falling hard on my ass. I grabbed at my nose and instantly felt the liquid running down my hand. It hurt; I felt my eyes starting to water at the pain. I didn't know what hurt worse, running into the metal part of the door face first or falling hard on my butt. I looked up through my watery eyes and froze. "her.."

"Holy shit, Brittany!" Santana squealed and kneeled down in front of me, setting her coffee on the ground beside us and reaching for my forearms. "I'm so sorry!" She said staring into my eyes then down at my blood covered hands. "Shit, you're bleeding.."She mumbled and scrambled to dig inside her purse. "Here, take this and tilt your head up." She handed me a wad of napkins and pushed my hands up to my nose as I titled my head. She sat back and took in the sight. "Fuck, I'm so sorry." The concern in her voice sent shivers through me; I didn't even feel the pain anymore. All I that mattered was having her this close to me and tending to my nose.

"s'okay, I was the one that ran into the door." I said weakly as I tried to smile, but she wouldn't see it anyway since the napkins were in the way. I looked down at my clothes and realized it looked like I had just killed someone. My breath hitched again when I felt cool fingertips tilting my chin up.

"Keep your head tilted, it'll stop the bleeding." She said, still cupping my chin though I had already let her move my head up. I didn't complain I loved her little touches already; she could linger on my skin forever. "You should really change your clothes before cops start getting suspicious." She said with a grin. "You live close by?" I nodded and pointed behind her.

"Yeah, just a couple blocks down that way." My words were sort of muffled due to the pressure I was putting on my nose as I tried breathing out of my mouth. She looked over her shoulder and nodded.

"Okay, I'll walk you there."

"No, you don't have to. I'm sure the bleeding's st-" I attempted to remove the napkins and look into it but she had already cupped my chin again and made me look up.

"Keep your-"

"Head tilted, got it." I cut her off, nodding.

"And it's the least I could do; I was the one behind the door anyway." She huffed and picked up her coffee. "Plus, it would be kinda hard walking with your head tilted up like that." There was a little bit of playfulness in her voice that time; it made me smile. She wanted to walk me home, she cared for my safety.

"Yeah..I'd probably trip over something." I shrugged and watched as she stood back up and offered her hand to me. "I'm clumsy as it is anyway." She let out a breathy laugh and hoisted me up.

"Oh, your phone." She pointed to the ground where I had dropped it. I saw it from the corner of my eye and went to reach for it. I guess with the napkins blocking my view, I didn't see she was already leaning into grab it also. We ended up bumping heads.

"Sorry.." I apologized embarrassingly as I stood up quickly to let her pick the phone up. I watched her rub at her head before standing up all the way and offering me the phone.

"Wow, you really _are_ clumsy." She laughed.

"Told you." Thank God, the napkins were covering up half my face; I could feel my cheeks burning.

"It's all good; just don't let it happen again." She warned, I couldn't tell if she was being serious or not so I straightened up and looked towards the sky. "Brittany, I'm just kidding." She said, as she placed a hand softly on my back.

"R-Right, yeah I knew that." I stammered and began the walk home. It was about a 10 minute walk, but the whole time, Santana kept her hand pressed against my back. She was probably just doing that so she could direct me since I was pretty much walking blind, but I enjoyed the feeling of her on me. "I'm on the second floor." I said as she held the door open for me and guided me through.

"Okay, sounds good." She nodded and hopped into the elevator with me. Once inside, I finally noticed the coffee in her hand. I mean, I saw her put it down earlier but it never really registered in my head.

"Oh, what kind did you get?" I asked, pointing down at her cup.

"Uhm, back to the usual." She shrugged and looked down at her cup. "You weren't there to order for me." She looked up at me and smiled. I don't know why, but it made my knees weak so I had to look away.

"Yeah, I picked up another job but I'll still be there most mornings." I replied. I didn't know why I was telling her that, she didn't need to know about my life. But something about her made me feel like I could tell her whatever I wanted, and it didn't seem like she minded.

"That's cool, what do you do now?" She asked as the elevator doors opened and I lead the way to the apartment door.

"Make yourself at home." I said when I unlocked the door then went to throw out the napkins and washed my hands. "Oh, and I was hired as a backup dancer a few weeks ago but I actually just got promoted today as choreographer." The excitement from the new position was still evident in my voice when I told her. I was a choreographer now!

"Wow, really? Congratulations!" She said with a big smile as she followed me into the room. "I always pegged you for a dancer." She shrugged. How would she know if I was a dancer if I never even danced around her before, let alone talk about it? I mean, it was just a few weeks ago that I found out her name. Yeah, she's been coming into the shop for awhile now but I was always too scared to ring her up, even make her drinks and because of that Quinn refused to tell me her name. She said if I was going to act all shy then I'd have to find out her name on my own. Obviously that wouldn't happen, or happen fast enough since Quinn practically forced me to talk to the Latina that one day. "Awh, she's cute." She cooed as she looked up at the various pictures of Bella from when she was born till now. I walked over to stand behind her and looked up at all the pictures too. Quinn took most of them; photography is sort of her dirty little secret. "You have a lovely family." She complimented and set her eyes on a picture of me and Quinn with Bella in her lap. "Your girlfriend is also very pretty."

"M-My who?" I practically choked out. She spun around and stared at me confused.

"What? Not your girlfriend?" I shook my head 'no' and watched her bring a hand to her brows and a smile for on her lips. "Your sister, right?" She asked with a laugh almost sounding embarrassed.

"No, well almost." I shrugged. "She's my best friend and Bella" I pointed at the little girl in Quinn's lap. "She's Quinn's daughter."

"Ohhh, wow." She sighed and turned back to the pictures. "I just assumed that you guys were together, there are so many pictures of just the 3 of you." She added with a breathy laugh.

"Yeah, we're all each other's got since all of our family is back home in Ohio." I replied with a shrug. "I could totally see how you'd think that though." She looked back at me and smiled.

" Well I've learned my lesson, don't assume everyone's gay." She laughed and stared back at the pictures.

"No well, she's not gay but I am." I assured her, almost answering too quickly. I'm not usually so straight forward like that, but I didn't want to lose my chance with her if she thought I was straight.

"Oh." She sounded surprised and spun around to face me. "Well, lucky me." I instantly regretted throwing away those napkins because my flushed cheeks were now on full display. Does this count as flirting? I'm going to count it as flirting. "Only joking." She laughed and looked around the room. "So where's the bathroom? I need better lighting to make sure I didn't break your nose."

"But it wasn't-"

"My fault, got it." She mocked my reply from earlier. I smiled and led her to the bathroom. I sat down on the closed lid of the toilet seat while she cupped my chin and inspected my nose. I didn't know where to look since she was inches away from my face so I settled on her eyelashes. They were so long and full, it made me a little jealous since mine weren't really like that. "They're fake." She mumbled without looking away from my nose.

"Huh?"

"My eyelashes, they're fake." She replied again then looked up to stare into my eyes. There was that trance again where it seemed like time stood still. I involuntarily licked my lips and accidently took a peak down at her full ones. Her voice broke the spell as she stood up fully. "Well looks like your nose isn't broken, it's probably gunna get pretty bruised though."

"Are you a doctor?" I asked innocently as I looked up at her; she shook her head 'no'. "Oh, you sound awfully like a doctor."

"Nah, but my dad is. He _wanted_ me to be one though." She said as she looked at herself in the mirror. "Geez, how come you didn't tell me I look a hot mess?" She teased as she combed her fingers through her hair.

"I had my head 'tilted up' the whole time, remember?" I joked back, I didn't know where this sudden boost of confidence came from but I was entirely grateful for it. I looked over at her running her fingers through her deep brown hair as it landed softly on her shoulders. "You're still beautiful though." I pressed my lips together the instant the words left my lips. I really needed to learn how to think before speaking, it's never been one of my best features. She slowly turned to look at me.

"You think I'm-" Her phone began ringing loudly, echoing against the walls in the bathroom. She looked down at the phone and clenched her jaw. It was probably Brooke again, I thought. "Excuse me." She said politely and left the bathroom to answer the call but I could still hear her talking. "I know you're sorry. *pause* yes, I got your gift that was delivered to the office. *pause* Do I think it was a little inappropriate that you sent me fucking lacy panties to my workplace? Yes I do. *pause* Can you ever think about anything besides sex?"

I felt my cheeks starting to heat up again; this was definitely not a conversation I should be listening to.

"Damnit Brooke, fine. You wanna talk? Then let's meet up right now. *pause* Oh you're busy doing what? That slut from that bakery you love so much? *pause* Whatever, I'll talk to you whenever."

I _knew_ it was Brooke she was talking to. I really wanted to meet that girl just to give her a little piece of my mind. How could she treat such a nice girl like Santana so badly? Then again, I don't know anything about their relationship. She must be incredibly hot if Santana still continues to put up with her. It's none of my business though. I took a deep breath and stared down at the bathroom rug.

"Uhm hey, I've got to get going now." Santana said as she poked her head into the bathroom. Her voice was soft now, almost delicate sounding. I looked up and saw the sadness in her eyes. I never liked seeing her upset.

"Is everything-"

"Okay?" She said finishing my sentence which has become some sort of habit now. "Never been better!" She announced sarcastically, her tone switching to sound a little harsh. I don't think she realized the change and instantly apologized. "I should get going before I start taking out my frustration on you." She huffed and turned away from the door. I got up and followed her to the entrance.

"I can walk you down if you'd like?" I asked softly, not sure if she'd snap on me again. I knew it wasn't me she was mad at though so I didn't really think too much of it.

"No, that's okay." She said and picked up her purse and coffee. "I'll see you around, Pink Cheeks." She smiled and closed the door behind her, leaving before I could even say goodbye. _Pink Cheeks_, there goes another nickname. I reached up and ran my fingers along my cheek bones and let out a sigh then spun around to look for my phone hoping that Quinn hung up after I fell. I looked at the screen to see I had a new message.

_Quinn: Saw the whole thing, told you your clumsiness would come in handy one day! Go get her, Lovergirl! ( ;_

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help smile at my best friend's teasing. If only it were that easy, to just come in and sweep the Latina off her feet and somehow convince her that I'm the better choice. I don't know much about her, but I do know that I'd never make her feel the way that Brooke girl does. I'd never let those full lips of hers curl into a frown. Never.


	5. Chapter 5 Make You Feel My Love

CHAPTER 5

_A Couple Mornings later;_

Quinn was off today, something about taking Bella to some doctor's appointment or something, so it was just me and Christy working. I didn't understand why Quinn was always so mean to the girl; I didn't see anything wrong with her. She always did her share of the work, never caught her texting in the back room, she even offers to sweep up the dining area without me asking her to. I guess Quinn sort of misses bossing people around like she did in high school before she got pregnant. I glanced over at the clock; Santana should be coming in any minute now. I looked at my reflection in the shiny metal of the coffee machine and made sure I looked okay. I had my hair down today since it was a little colder out than usual and wore my favorite yellow knit beanie. I walked over to the register and leaned on the counter looking down at my hands when I heard the clinking of the bells. I looked up anticipating seeing Santana walk through, but instead saw those three teenagers from a couple weeks ago. After Quinn told me that she thought that one of the girls had a crush on me, I noticed her coming in more often.

"Hey Heather!" I greeted and let my eyes fall on the two behind her. "Hey Heather's friends!" I watched them all giggle and poke at each other until the now blushing Heather finally walked up to me. "So hot chocolate again?" I asked and pulled out her usual sized cup. She nodded and handed over her money. "Alright, Christy will bring it out in a sec." I said cheerfully and watched the group walk slowly over to the other counter, sneaking looks at me every now and then. I shrugged my shoulders and let out a deep breath. Kids these days. I heard the bells chime again and perked up. This time it _had _to be Santana.

"Britty!" Bella squealed as she attempted to run to me, pulling Quinn along behind her. She was no Santana, but I'm always happy to see Bella. I walked around the counter past the group of teens who still had their eyes on me and scooped up the little girl in my arms.

"Hi Peanut!" I said happily and kissed the top of her head. "Did you come here to visit me?"

"As soon as we left the doctor's office she was so set on coming to visit you at work." Quinn said as she adjusted her purse on her shoulder the reached up to brush through the back of Bella's hair. "Show Brittany what you got at the doctor's office, baby." I looked down at the huge grin that was plastered on the little one's face as she held out a lollipop and a few stickers.

"What's all this?" I asked and sat the girl up on the counter as I looked at what she had in her hands.

"I gotta lolly cause I was so good when I gotta shot." She said happily. "I didn't even cry, Britty." Her voice was stern as she looked up at me with this serious face.

"Oh, so tough just like mommy." I said and glanced up at Quinn who was rolling her eyes at me. "What else you got there?"

"Stickers!" She squealed and sprawled out all the stickers on the counter and explained each one to me before handing me one with a killer whale on it. "You can have this one, I know you like whales." She said and offered me the sticker.

"Awh, how sweet of you Bella!" I cooed and poked at the spot just under the collar of my shirt. "Can you put it on for me?" She nodded excitedly and slapped the sticker on. "Do I look cool now?"

"So cool."

I looked up to see Santana standing off to the side of Quinn with a soft smile on her lips. I instantly blushed and looked away from her.

"Britty, why's your face so red? Are you sick?" Bella asked and cupped my cheeks with her tiny hands. I couldn't help but laugh at her adorableness. I guess Santana couldn't either because I heard her giggling as well.

"Come on baby; let's go get the newbie to make you some hot chocolate before you embarrass Britt any further." Quinn said as she scooped the girl up and walked over to the register.

"H-Hey." I stammered and waved at Santana awkwardly. She just smiled again and stepped closer to me.

"That was really cute." She said. "I mean, you interacting with Bella. You're really good with kids." I smiled down at my fiddling hands and nodded.

"Yeah, that's what Quinn says." I answered and watched as the group of teens scampered off to sit at one of the far tables, not missing a chance to steal another glance at me.

"Horny teens." Santana muttered as she glanced at the group passing us. "That one seriously has the hots for you." She laughed and nodded over to Heather.

"Yeah, they're always in here now." I sighed and realized I wasn't standing behind the counter but off to the side where the extra napkins and forks were. "Oh, did you wanna order?" I asked and shuffled over to stand behind the register. "I mean, what are you craving for today?" I watched as her eyes seemed to darken a bit and heard her mumble something. "Sorry, what? She just shook her head looking down at the counter, almost like she was trying to hide that smirk.

"I mean, just wanky." She laughed and I felt like I missed the joke. I looked down at her confused but she just waved me off. "It's nothing you need to know about. I'm kind of feeling for something hot." I gulped at the way she said the word. _Hot._ I knew she was just talking about the temperature of the coffee, but looking at her and the darkness in her eyes had me thinking of something else.

"Uhm, well how about a Skinny Carmel Macchiato?" I asked.

"Yeah, sure. I'll try one of those." She answered and pulled out her credit card.

"Venti?" I asked , already reaching for the cup.

"You know me so well." She teased as I handed the cup to Christy and told her the order.

"Hey Britt!" Quinn called from one of the tables where here and Bella were seated sipping at the drinks. I walked around the counter and pass Santana to see what was up. "Sam said he wants to go out tonight to celebrate your big promotion."

"Oh yeah, that sounds like fun! Where at?"

"He said he wants to see your work and I'm kind of curious as well." She answered as she split a blueberry muffin in half and placed it on a napkin for Bella. "Here you go, baby." I watched as Bella's eyes lit up at the snack and focused my attention back on Quinn.

"So you want to take me out to celebrate at my own work?" I asked with a chuckle.

"Well, _Sam_ wants to, yes." She said and then flickered her eyes over to Santana who was still waiting for her drink. "You should invite her out too." She said in a whisper.

"Quinn, no." I said sternly. "We don't even know each other that well."

"Which is why you should ask her!" She replied in a hushed voice.

"Mommy, why are you whispering?" Bella asked curiously as she took another bite of her muffin.

"Nothing Bells." She said with a smile and wiped away the crumbs on Bella's chin before setting her eye back on me. "If you don't ask her, I will." My eyes widened.

"You wouldn't."

"Try me." She smirked. I narrowed my eyes on at her, but there was no beating Quinn when she had her mind set on something.

"Hey Britt, you've done it again!" Santana cheered as she wiggled her cup in her hand. "Best. Thing. Ever." I smiled over at her before I felt a kick in my shin.

"Invite her or I will.." Quinn sang as she brought her drink to her lips. I seriously thought about inviting Santana, but when my mouth opened to speak nothing came out. Quinn saw this and took it as a sign of my defeat. "Hey, Santana , right?" Quinn said politely over to the girl.

"Yeah, Quinn I assume?" Santana said as she walked over to us. I tightly shut my eyes hoping I'd teleport to the back room and away from this train wreck that was about to happen. "And Bella?" She said and smiled over to the little girl who just giggled in response.

"Mhm, well I just wanted to say thank you for walking Britt back home yesterday and made sure she was alright."

"Oh yeah, it was the lease I could do after-"

"I told you, it wasn't your fault." I said quickly cutting her off. Quinn smiled up at both of us and laughed.

"Yeah well, I'm sure she told you about her promotion she got yesterday?" Quinn asked.

"Oh yeah, I'm pretty sure she told anyone within listening distance." She laughed and glanced at me from the corner of her eye.

"Cool, well we're going out with another one of our friends tonight to celebrate. Did you maybe want to join us?" Quinn used one of her 'look at me, I'm so sweet and innocent' smiles that usually worked on pretty much everyone when she wanted something to go her way. Santana looked over at me with raised eyebrows. God, I wish I had the confidence to do the talking. Let me try.

"Y-Yeah, it would be really fun if you'd come." I managed to choke out without blushing.

"Hm..where you guys going?" She muttered trying to keep from smirking again.

"Showtimes." I said, trying to regain control of the conversation so it didn't seem like Quinn was doing all the talking. "_They_ want to take me out to celebrate at my own job." I laughed and shot Quinn a glare.

"Oh, you work at Showtimes?" Santana asked in awe. "That's funny; I thought I've seen you dancing there a few weeks back. For Rachel Berry, right?"

"Woah, how do you know?" I asked shocked at all the information she was giving. "You've been there before?" I watched her nod.

"Yeah, a few times. I know a lot of people who work there." She shrugged.

"So, you'll go?" Quinn piped in anxiously, her wonderful control of her patience striking again.

"Oh sorry, I've got plans already." She said with her lips pouted as her nose scrunched up. I felt sad for some reason. I really thought I had made some type of progress, I guess not. She was probably going on a date with Brooke or something. I doubt it; Brooke would never do something nice for Santana like that.

"That's okay." I said quietly and couldn't bring myself to look at the girl anymore. "Maybe next time?"

"Don't worry, Brittany." She laughed, placing her hand gently on my shoulder. "I'll see you sooner than you expect." Sooner than you expect? What was that supposed to mean? I looked up at her to see her smirking again. "Hey, I've gotta go now." She said staring at her watching then turned to Quinn and Bella. "It was nice meeting you, Quinn." She said with a polite smiled then walked around to pat on Bella's head. "You too, Little One." She smiled as I watched Bella wiggle in her seat from talking to the Latina. Then Santana looked up at me. "See you later, Brittany." She waved and headed out the door.

"Who was that mommy, why she make Britty's face turn red?" Bella asked innocently. Quinn just laughed and pointed over to Brittany.

"It's her crush." She whispered to the little girl. "But it's a secret, so don't tell." Bella nodded seriously and zipped her lips before looking up at me with extended arms. I smiled down at the girl and picked her up.

"Britt, was that girl the one you always talk about?" Bella asked quietly. I nodded with a grin. "Oh, she's really pretty. Is she your girlfriend yet?" The innocence of the question made me laugh.

"Nope, not yet." I smiled. "I think she has a girlfriend right now." Bella nodded. I always loved talking to Bella about this kind of stuff, for some reason this 4 year old was very understanding when it came to love. Or maybe it was just her innocent answers that made everything seem so much clearer to me.

"Ohh.." She mumbled with a pout then looked up smiling again. "I like her." She shrugged and wiggled out of my arms to run over to Quinn.

"Yeah, me too." I sighed and headed back around the counter to help Christy with the line of customers.

_Later That Night;_

I was actually pretty excited about going out with Sam and Quinn tonight, I really needed a way to get my mind off Santana. Plus, it's been like weeks since the three of us have had a grown up night out since we usually have to bring Bella along with us. I was in the middle of getting ready when I heard a knock on the front door.

"I got it!" I heard Quinn yell and went back to fixing my makeup. I was wearing a short black off the shoulder dress that fit snug to my hips and thighs but loose around my torso. I never liked wearing all black since I love colors, but I Quinn said it really brings out my blonde hair. I slipped on my high heels and grabbed my clutch the headed out to the living room.

"Oh hey, Marley!" I greeted when I saw the babysitter talking with Quinn about Bella. She looked over at me and smiled. I always thought she was pretty; she had bright blue eyes like mine but her hair was brown. Which I found weird because I've never met someone who had blue eyes and wasn't blonde. But whatever, she was the only one besides our close friends that Quinn ever felt comfortable leaving Bella with. Probably because Marley lived two doors down with her mom and if anything ever happened to Bella Quinn knew exactly where she'd find her.

"Hey Brittany!" She waved then pointed down at my heels. "Cute shoes." I followed her finger down to my feet and nodded.

"Thanks!" I said happily and walked over to Bella who was coloring. "What are you drawing there, Peanut?" I asked trying to interpret the drawing.

"Nooo, don't look at it yet!" She yelled and slapped her hands over the picture. "It's not finished, go away!" She stared up at me with stern eyes so I slowly backed away with my hands up in defeat. I don't know why, but the harshness in her voice kind of made me feel a little sad. I guess Quinn saw me walking off like a kicked puppy and walked over to Bella.

"Bella!" Quinn snapped. "You do not yell at Brittany like that." She said sternly and stared down at the girl with her hands on her hips. "Go say sorry." I didn't wanna look over at Quinn disciplining, I always hated when she'd yell but I know if she didn't Bella would never learn. I leaned on my elbows on the kitchen counter staring down at my phone when I felt tiny arms wrap around my bare legs. I looked down and saw Bella staring up at me with a big pout.

"I'm s-sorry, Britty." She said apologetically. "I just wanted the picture to be a surprise.." She mumbled then buried her face into my leg. I looked down at the girl as I felt wetness on my skin. I bent down and picked up the girl, brushing hair out of her face.

"It's okay, Bella." I said with a smile and kissed her forehead. "Don't cry, honey." I wiped away the little tears with my thumb as she gave me a weak smile. "That's not a real smile!" I teased and started tickling her sides until she started squealing with laughter and begged me to put her down. Quinn and Marley watched the whole thing and shook their heads at me. "What?" I asked with a shrug.

"You really can't stand seeing that girl cry." Quinn laughed while Marley nodded with her in agreement.

"Not-uh!" I protested with my arms crossed. "I can't stand seeing _anyone_ cry.." I said with a smirk. "Unless they're happy tears, those ones are okay." The two girls laughed then Quinn gave Bella one last kiss goodbye as we headed downstairs where Sam was waiting.

"Ow! Ow! Don't you ladies look lovely?" Sam called as we approached him leaning on his car with his hands in his pants pockets. "Is that a new sundress, Quinn?" He asked in his flirty voice as he leaned off the car and opened her door.

"Oh Sam, stop." Quinn said modestly and hopped in the front seat of the car. I could've sworn I saw her blush when he opened the door for her, but maybe it was just my imagination. We arrived at Showtimes at around 9, just in time for the performances to start. Thursday nights were like open mic nights where anyone could go up and sing or dance or whatever which is why I was off. I had never gone to one of the open mic nights, but Rachel, before going off to talk about how great she was, said that there was some pretty good talent.

"Let's hit up the bar first, I wanna get my ladies some drinks!" Sam cheered and draped his arms around me and Quinn's shoulders as we walked over to the bar.

"Hey Brittany!" The Asian bartender said as she poured a shot for another customer. I narrowed my eyes at her trying to remember her name since her face did look a little familiar.

"Really? It's Tina.." She sighed and slid the glass over to one of the guys at the end of the bar.

"Right! Yeah, I knew that!" I tried to say convincingly but I'm pretty sure the glassiness in my eyes told a different story. She smiled and nodded then looked over at Sam.

"What can I get for you?" Sam looked over at me and then at Quinn.

"Uhh, give her an Apple Martini." He said as he nodded over at Quinn. "This one will get a Long Island Iced Tea." He said nodding at me. "And I'll just get a Sprite." Sam dropped his arms from around us as he dug in his back pocket for his wallet. I looked around at the crowd of people surrounding the stage and knew that we should better get our seats quickly.

"Hey, I'm gunna find us a table." I said to my friends. I saw Quinn about to follow me but I stopped her. "Help him carry the drinks." I said with a wink. I was just trying to get her alone with him. I started my way over to an empty table when I heard a familiar voice.

"Brittany! Over here!" I spun around and saw Rachel sitting with Kurt and some greasy haired guy in a circular booth. I walked over and smiled.

"Hey, what's up!" I greeted the threesome.

"Nothing, nothing, just about to see if anyone can outshine me." Rachel shrugged and nodded in the direction of the stage. "You here alone? You can sit with us if you want." She said kindly and patted the space next to her.

"Oh no, that's okay. My friends are over at the bar, I was just trying to find us an empty table." I replied and pointed over to the empty table that was now filled. "It's pretty busy in here, is it always like this on Thursdays?" I asked when I saw there weren't any more empty tables. Rachel and Kurt nodded in unison.

"Always!" Kurt sighed dramatically. "But hey, how many people are you with? You guys can sit with us if you want." Kurt suggested and waved his hand at the booth. "There's a lot of room, Rachel's compact and so is Blaine." Kurt teased as he pointed at the two. Oh, Blaine! I knew I recognized those bare ankles from somewhere.

"Are you sure? I don't wanna impose or anything." I said nervously.

"No, no, the more the merrier!" Rachel cheered and slid around the booth to sit next to Kurt and Blaine.

"Alright, I'll just wave them down." I said as I spotted Sam and Quinn walking over with our drinks. Everyone introduced each other and slid into the booth. I sat next to Rachel while Quinn sat next to me and Sam sat at the end. The lights dimmed a little signaling the start of the performers. The first couple singers were really good, even Rachel made good comments at the end of their performances. I looked around at the people I was sitting with at the booth and felt my cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. I loved having my friends from one job hanging out with my other regular friends, I always liked when everyone got along.

"Are they together?" Rachel whispered in my ear and nodded over at Quinn and Sam. Sam had his back to Quinn as she rested her chin on his shoulder, watching the singers. I smiled at their cuteness and shook my head.

"Nope, but they should be right?" I whispered back. Rachel nodded in agreement.

"Definitely, they're adorable together." She replied in a hushed voice. We all sat in silence again as we watched the announcer walk up to introduce the next singer.

"Alright guys, you all know her; she's a regular with that super sexy raspy voice!" The guy announced and a half the crowd stood up and started clapping loudly. "Here's Santana Lopez." My jaw dropped when I heard the name. It couldn't be the same Santana, there's hundreds of people with that name. I waited anxiously for the singer to walk out on stage. Nope, it was the same Santana. My eyes widened and I felt like I was about to pass out from excitement as she walked out and sat down on the stool in front of the mic stand.

"Oh, she's really really good." Rachel commented with her eyes set on the stage. Quinn looked over her shoulder at me with a just as shocked expression, but I couldn't move. I just kept staring up at the stage waiting to hear what she sounded like.

I watched as she adjusted the mic lower and licked her lips then pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She scanned the crowd then looked down at her hands and smiled before griping the mic with her left hand as the pianist played the first few notes.

_When the rain  
Is blowing in your face  
And the whole world  
Is on your case  
I could offer you  
A warm embrace  
To make you feel my love_

"Wow." I said breathlessly as I stared on at her singing. Her voice was so smooth and soulful with just the right amount of rasp. I swallowed thickly as she sang on. She was amazing and she's only sang one verse.

When the evening shadows  
And the stars appear  
And there is no - one there  
To dry your tears  
I could hold you  
For a million years  
To make you feel my love

There was so much pain in her voice for such a beautiful loving song. I mean, that's what the song was about right? Love? About how much you love a person and all the things you'd do to show that person how you feel, right? I couldn't help but wonder why she wore a look of sadness if this was supposed to be a happy song.

I know you  
Haven't made  
Your mind up yet  
But I would never  
Do you wrong  
I've known it  
From the moment  
That we met  
No doubt in my mind  
Where you belong

The more I listened to her words, the more I felt like she was reading my mind. The lyrics seemed to hit so close to home with me. I propped my elbows up on the table and rested my chin in my hands as I focused only on her.

I'd go hungry  
I'd go black and blue and  
I'd go crawling  
Down the avenue  
You Know there's nothing  
That I wouldn't do  
To make you feel my love

Even from far away, I could see that tear roll down her cheek as she sang the last line. I wanted so bad to walk over and wipe it away for her, but I was sort of trapped between Quinn and Rachel. I almost climbed over the table to get to the girl on stage, but I didn't want to interrupt the song. I just don't like seeing people cry like that. I watched as she tightly shut her eyes, almost like she was pushing away some deep thought, and sang, switching her grip on the mic to her right hand as she lifted her left and held it in the air around her stomach.

The storms are raging  
On the rolling sea  
And on the highway of regret  
The winds of change  
Are blowing wild and free  
You ain't seen nothing  
Like me yet

She dropped her left hand on her thigh and opened her eyes again as she sang the first line a little higher, showing off that she doesn't only sing in that low soulful tone. I don't know why, but it made me feel proud to watch her up there. She definitely owned the spotlight right now.

I could make you happy  
Make your dreams come true  
Nothing that I wouldn't do  
Go to the ends  
Of the Earth for you  
To make you feel my love, To make you feel my love

She gripped the mic with both hands as she sang the last verse. Her eyes were focused on the crowd of people closest to the stage but then she looked up and I could've sworn she was staring right at me. I dropped my hands and sat back against the booth and stared back, still not sure if she was looking at me. But just in case she was looking at me, I smiled and nodded my head as she was nearing the end of the song. I watched as her lips pulled into a smile, the first smile through the whole song, and looked down back down at the crowd closest to her. The song faded out and everyone clapped.

"Thank you." She bowed and walked off stage. I was momentarily frozen. She smiled after I smiled, does that mean she was looking at me? Or maybe she just smiled like that because of something else. I don't know, but I had to find out.

"Wow, she was amazing!" Sam clapped and turned to look at the rest of our expressions. "I mean, like wow!"

"Yeah, she was very good." Quinn said as she turned to face me and smirked. "Who knew she could sing like _that_, right Britt?"

"Oh, you know Santana too?" Rachel asked as she turned her head to look at me. I felt like all eyes were on me and I didn't like it.

"Uh, I've gotta go to the bathroom." I muttered and tried pushing Quinn and Sam out before she could embarrass me.

"You want me to go with you?" Quinn asked with that same smirk on her face.

"NO!" I said a little too quickly. "I-I mean, no. I'm fine." I said trying to recover, but Quinn just laughed and winked at me before sitting back down to talk with our new friends. I wish I watched to see where Santana had gone after she made her way off stage; I was practically just wandering around now. And it didn't help that it had gotten even more crowded. I tried my best not to bump into anyone, but there were just too many people. I was so focused on weaving my way around this one group of people attempting not to step on anyone's toes or elbow someone that I accidently backed into someone behind me.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I apologized as I looked up from watching where my feet were going and to the person I had collided with. There was that slow motion again. I looked down at the person's feet, black opened toed high heels, up their legs, which were tanned and toned, then up their torso, taking in the tight grey dress they were wearing, and then finally looking at the face. I blinked a couple times to register the Latina's eyes as she smiled brightly up at me.

"We've got to quit bumping into each other like this."

* * *

A/N Again, thanks for all the lovely reviews! I'm so thrilled to hear how much you guys love the story so far, makes me super happy. ( :

btw, the song was Make You Feel My Love - Adele [check it out, so good.]


	6. Chapter 6 It's Complicated

CHAPTER 6

"Y-yeah.." I said in a shaky voice then shook my head and took a step back. "I didn't know you sang!" I exclaimed with a big smile. "You were amazing!" I watched as she smiled down at the floor. Even though it was dark, I could still see her cheeks reddening at the compliment. "I mean, like you were so good!"

"Th-Thanks." She stutters? What? I felt a little more confident now that I wasn't the only one who gets nervous. There was this awkward silence between us where we just looked at each other smiling.

"I-uhm-Can I buy you a drink?" I asked, my heart racing at my sudden boldness. I watched as she licked her lips then focus on something over my shoulder. "What? Is there a spider?" I asked frantically and spun around trying to see if anything was crawling on me, but nothing was there.

"No.." She laughed and shook her head.

"Yeah, I figured." I sighed, way to go embarrassing yourself again Brittany. "So how about that drink?" I asked a second time with hopeful eyes.

"No thanks." She said and that answer was like a punch in the gut.

"Wh-What? Why not?" I asked, my bottom lip involuntarily jutting out. She smiled and looked down at her feet again taking a deep breath before looking up at me.

"You and that pout." She teased and crossed her arms over her chest. I was still looking at her waiting for an explanation. She rolled her eyes with a smirk and continued."Because, I think your boyfriend is waiting for you to go back." She said and nodded over at Sam and Quinn who were peeking over the booth chair. I laughed and shook my head.

"What? Sam? Ew, no. I mean he tried, but just no." I rambled, still laughing at her thought. "Plus I told you, I'm gay. Like, I _only_ like girls. That's it." She pressed her lips together suppressing another smile.

"Oh right, I forgot about that." She said. "Well, I guess I will take you up on that offer then."

"Sweet!"

15 Minutes Later;

After buying her a drink, she followed me back over to the booth and squeezed in next to me. I practically downed half my Long Island Iced Tea just to calm my nerves. Each time her shoulder would brush against my arm it was like a jolt of electricity shook through my body. I started introducing her to everyone, but to my surprise she already knew Rachel, Kurt, and Blaine so Sam was the only one she'd never met.

"Alright hold up, so you're telling me that you met Sam at a stripper audition?" Santana asked with a breathy laugh, I nodded. "I'm just- how the hell? Why were you even there?" She asked with her face all scrunched up in that cute way when she was confused about something. I guess it was the alcohol kicking in because for some reason I wasn't really all that nervous now.

"The add said _exotic_ dancers not strippers." I shrugged nonchalantly. Everyone was laughing now, even Santana.

"She didn't know exotic dancers were fancy talk for strippers." Quinn clarified, out of breath from all the giggling.

"Exotic dancers and strippers are different!" Sam protested as we all looked at him for an explanation. "Exotic dancers don't take their clothes off, strippers do, hence the name _strip_pers."

"So are you an exotic dancer or are you a stripper?" Rachel asked with narrowed eyes and a smirk.

"uhh, exotic dancer." Sam said, his voice missing the confidence needed to persuade the girl.

"Not-uh, you always take your clothes off!" Quinn objected as she turned around to face him then looked back at Santana. "He does, I've seen him do it." The seriousness in her voice made the whole table laugh. She was totally drunk. "What?"

"Whatever! Like I said, I didn't know exotic dancers weren't the ones on the broadway version of Lion King." I huffed and sat back against the booth, accidently brushing past Santana's shoulder. "I mean, I considered it." I shrugged again and caught the sound of Santana choking on her drink. I sat up a bit and patted on her back. "You okay?" She wiped her chin with her finger and nodded.

"She was definitely _not_ going to be a stripper. I would not allow that." Quinn said sternly as she swayed in her seat when she tried to sit up. She was definitely a little tipsy; Quinn never could hold her alcohol well.

"What's wrong with strippers?" Sam asked offended. Quinn rolled her eyes and slumped into his chest.

"You know that's not what I meant." Quinn said sweetly, her words were starting to slur a little though. Sam grinned down at how Quinn was leaning into him. I felt Santana nudge me and beckoned me to lean to her.

"Are they together?" She whispered. I was temporarily stunned by how her breath tickled my neck. The nerves were coming back again. I reached for my glass and took another gulp.

"Nope, I wish though." I sighed, looking at the two whispering to each other. "They look cute together, right?" I asked and turned to face her. I didn't realize how close we were, our noses were like an inch a way from each other's.

"Why don't they go out then?" She asked, not backing away from her current close position. My eyes flicked from hers to her lips then back at her eyes.

"Don't know. Quinn's got a lot of walls." I shrugged. "Very guarded ever since Bella." Santana seemed to understand the way she closed her eyes slowly and nodded.

"So he's not the-uh-the dad?" She asked lightly as she focused on the two.

"Oh no. He loves Bella though, but not the biological dad." I answered. "She's actually never told me who it was." That seemed to shock the Latina as she sat back a little.

"You don't know your best friend's baby daddy?" She asked a little confused.

"Nope. She said it's not important because Bella has all these other people in her life who love her and care for her more than he would have." I replied.

"Hm, makes sense I guess." She mumbled. "What about you?"

"What? Do I have a baby daddy?" I asked with wide eyes.

"What? No.." She laughed and shook her head. "I meant are you dating anyone?" My palms grew warm at the questions and I quickly felt the alcohol losing its effect on me.

"Uh, no." I muttered. "What about you?" I asked even though I already knew about this Brooke girl. "I always hear you talking on the phone to someone named Brooke, is she your girlfriend?" I was shocked at how direct my question was, but I really needed to know. I saw her jaw set at the mention of her name and watched her slowly close her eyes again.

"So you've been eavesdropping, have you?" She said with a smirk and narrowed her eyes at me. The look made me gulp.

"Uh n-no, I mean it's kinda hard not listen when every time I see you you're on the phone." I tried to defend myself but all she did was laugh.

"Easy, I'm just joking." She laughed and waved her hand. There was that silence again.

"You never answered my question.." I replied.

"Uh, it's complicated." She sighed and sat back against the seat. There was sadness in her eyes again, like when she was singing on stage earlier. I really wanted to cheer her up, but I didn't know what to do.

"How?" I asked, sincerely interested but I thought maybe I was asking too much. "Sorry, I'm not trying to be nosy. You don't have to tell me, it's none of my business." I rambled and looked down at my lap embarrassed.

"It's okay. I feel oddly comfortable around you." She shrugged. "I mean, if it was anyone else trying to pry into my love life I'd probably go all Lima Heights on their ass." Her face hardened as she spoke, like she was hiding behind her walls again but then she turned to me and her face softened. "But you, I don't think I could ever do that to you. It's strange."

"I don't know what going Lima Heights means, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to find out." I said and that made her laugh. "Like I said before, I'm a good listener." She turned to look at me and grinned. There was another silence where I wasn't sure if she was going to start talking about the girl or if it was my cue to change the subject. Just as I was about to open my mouth to talk about something else, she spoke.

"Brooke is a pretty much a heartbreaker and I'm the sorry sap that grew a liking to her." She talked so confidently but her eyes, her eyes told her real story.

"Oh.." I sighed. "I'm sorry about that." I replied, my hand moving to pat her knee comfortingly on its own.

"It's alright, I deserve it." She shrugged and took a big swig of her drink. She deserved it? No one deserves to be treated like that. No one. For some reason, it broke my heart hearing her put herself down like that. I didn't know what she had done to think she'd deserve this Brooke girl's treatment, but I knew it couldn't have been that bad. "It's kind of like karma for me." She muttered, still not looking away from her glass. Though we were still seated with the group, it felt like we were in our own little world and I sort of liked the way she was opening up to me.

"What do you mean?" I asked softly, dipping my head down a little to find her eyes. They were stormy again like there were tons of stories just waiting to be told.

"I-uh-I wasn't a very nice person back in high school." She shrugged then took a deep breath. "I was just like Brooke actually. Never caring about feelings or other's wellbeing, everything was about me and what I needed.." Her voice sounded shaky like she was about to cry or something. On a burst of boldness, I reached over and patted her hand to reassure her that I was still listening. "I took everything for granted and treated everyone, even my friends, like complete shit." She clenched her jaw tight then licked her lips. "I was the biggest bitch ever."

"Well, you're not like that now." I said sternly and gave her a bright smile. "You're super nice and very caring. I mean, who else would walk a stranger home because they didn't want her to trip because she had to keep her 'head tilted up' the whole time?" I asked with kind eyes.

"You're not a stranger." She replied. "We're friends." Friends, she said that we're friends! I felt all warm inside at our new label. It wasn't girlfriends yet, but at least it's something.

"Well, you're definitely not a bitch. At least not to me anyway." I shrugged and watched as she smiled up at me.

"Yeah." She sighed. "Well, Brooke and I started dating a little over 6 months ago." She's been putting up with her for 6 months?! How in the world? "She wasn't always such a pain in the ass. She used to be sweet and caring, but I don't know what happened." She looked down at her fumbling hands. "I thought I could change her, but I guess not. She was back to her normal self in no time."

"Then why don't you break up?" I asked. Why would anyone want to be with someone for that long if they're not happy with the relationship?

"It's complicated." She muttered again.

"Why?"

"You ask a lot of questions." She smiled.

"I'm just interested." I replied. "If I wasn't happy in a relationship, I'd end it."

"Who said I wasn't happy?" She asked with her arms crossing over her chest defensively.

"Uhm, your face every time she calls you?" I answered with a light chuckle. She dropped her arms and smiled at her drink and took a sip.

"It sucks how much I love her." She sighed. "I keep giving her all these chances just so she can fuck up again over and over." She sounded ashamed as she set her glass back down on the table.

"That's not love." I said like it was the simplest thing in the world.

"I know..I'm just being stupid." She huffed and stared down at her hands. I noticed she didn't like looking me in the eyes when she talked, she was always looking down. But I didn't like how she put herself down like that. I used to always get teased back in high school about my grades and being a 'ditzy blonde', everyone always called me that word. I grew to hate it and I _never_ hate anything.

"Don't call yourself that." I said sternly, she didn't look up. "Hey, look at me." I said softly and dipped down to find her eyes. She slowly turned and my blue met her brown. "You're not stupid." She pressed her lips together then grinned.

"I guess you can't help who you fall in love with." She sighed, looking back down at her glass.

"Guess not." I replied, staring at how her hair fell around her shoulders, shielding her face from me. I wanted to reach out and brush it away, but I definitely didn't have enough alcohol in me to try that.

"Thanks Brittany." She said softly and squeezed on my hand. "You're very easy to talk to."

I shrugged and wiggled in my seat, "That's just how I do." She laughed at my horrible ghetto accent. Her smiling faltered as she looked down at her boobs and pulled out her phone. I thought the whole scene was strange but I guess I was the only one who saw.

"Speak of the devil." Santana said showing me who was calling. _Brooke._ "I'll be right back." She said and got up, walking in the direction of the bathroom. I turned around to face the rest of the group who were adamantly talking about some musical.

"Oh, she remembers we're here!" Kurt teased as all eyes landed on me. "We thought you forgot about us, you were so busy talking to Santana." I blushed at him calling me out like that, I didn't realize I was talking to just her for so long.

"Oh, sorry.." I muttered, feeling a little bad.

"It's okay Brittany, he's just being mean." Blaine said and bumped Kurt with his shoulder.

"I didn't know you knew Santana." Rachel said with a smile.

"Yeah, she always comes in to my other work at The Coffee Shop." I replied and watched Quinn giggle away at some joke she probably told herself in her head.

"I personally know Brooke, and let me just say, I much rather Santana pick you." Rachel said with her head cocked to the side. I felt confused again.

"Wait, you_ know_ Brooke?" I asked.

"Yes, she actually hit on me when Santana first introduced me to her. She really doesn't have any boundaries." Rachel sighed. "I feel bad for Santana, she's definitely changed a lot since high school and being with that girl is just holding her back." I sort of felt weird for talking about Santana's relationship while she was away, but I was so interested in how Rachel knew so much.

"Oh, so you guys went to high school together?"

"Yeah, she wasn't very nice." She laughed. "But she ended up joining Glee club and when she came out to the whole school, she pretty much lost all her HBIC power and Glee club was the only thing she could rely on. We became pretty good friends after." So Santana was in Glee club in high school, that's cute. "I like you two together though."

"Yeah, I second that." Kurt chimed in with a hand raised.

"Mhm, me too." Blaine followed.

"Don't bother, I've been trying to get them together for months.." Quinn slurred as she wobbled in her seat as she tried to sit up again, but Sam kept his arm firmly planted around her shoulders to keep her upright.

"Ugh, how do you guys even-"

"Oh please Britt, there were practically hearts in your eyes every time she looked at you." Kurt shrugged.

"I think she likes you too though." Rachel added. "She never talks about her 'other life' with just _anyone_." I felt my heart race when she said that. "That must make you _pretty_ special." I smiled down at my lap timidly. I really felt honored now knowing that Santana didn't really open up to many people.

"Oh subject change, here she comes." Kurt whispered and started back up on their earlier discussion about musicals when Santana slid back into the spot next to me.

"You alright?" I asked when I saw how she bit down on her bottom lip. It was like I scared her or something when I spoke; she looked up at me with empty eyes. "Santana?"

"Oh yeah, sorry..just thinking." She said abruptly. "I'm okay though." I narrowed my eyes on her knowing that the look on her face didn't show that she was 'okay'. She laughed a little and the happiness came back to her eyes again the longer I stared. "Seriously, I'm okay."

"Mmkay, just making sure." I shrugged and smiled back. "You always look super upset when you get off the phone with her." She gave me a weird look again. "It's just an observation." I said and threw my hands up in defense.

"Okay, okay, I believe you." She nodded then looked back down at her phone. "Shit, it's already midnight." She mumbled.

"What? You've got to go catch your horse and buggy before they turn into mice and a pumpkin, Cinderella?" That made her laugh again. I loved hearing her laugh; it only urged me to be even goofier.

"Not quite." She said. "But I do have working in the morning, I'm sure you do too." She was right; I had to be at the shop at 8 in the morning while Quinn would get to come in around 10.

"Oh, you're right!" I said and turned to Sam and Quinn. "We should start heading home; we've got work in the morning." Sam nodded and told Quinn we were leaving. Santana slid out of the booth so that Sam and Quinn could get out. "So this was fun and unexpected." I told her as we awkwardly stood in front of each other while Sam and Quinn said their goodbyes to their new friends.

"Yeah, we should definitely do this again some time." She replied. I felt my stomach flip at the thought of hanging out with her again, I couldn't help the smiles.

"For sure." I didn't know whether I should ask for her number or wait for her to offer or..

"So uhm-" We both said in unison. We both laughed shyly.

"Can I see your phone?" She asked, breaking the awkward silence. I looked down at my hand and held out my phone to her. She took it and started typing away.

"Can I see yours?" I asked, if she was putting her number in then I guess it was safe that I could give her mine. She smiled and dipped her hand into her top and pulled out her phone. It was warm to the touch and I couldn't help but grin at the thought of where this phone had just been. We exchanged our phones back. "Cool! Now we can hang out again!" I said a little too happily.

"You're just too cute." She smiled with soft eyes. I felt my cheeks burn again at the compliment. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow." She said and went to say bye to the rest of the group before leaving. I too said my goodbyes to Rachel, Blaine, and Kurt before following Sam and Quinn out to the car.

"Someone's happy." Sam teased as he laid Quinn down in the back seat of his car, allowing me to hop in the front.

"I'm always happy." I shrugged, ignoring what he really meant.

"Uh-huh." Sam smirked and started the car then drove us home. After the 15 minute drive, he was pulling up to our apartment building. "You need help with her?" He asked nodding over to Quinn in the backseat.

"Mm, nah. She'll snap out of it once the cold air hits her again." I said and turned around to pat Quinn's knee. "Come on sleepyhead, we gotta get upstairs." Quinn grumbled a little then sat up.

"Alright, I'm up." She mumbled and smiled over at Sam. "Thanks for taking us out, it was fun like always!" I watched as Sam smiled down at his lap shyly. I stepped out of the car and helped Quinn out before waving bye to Sam one last time.

"Geez, can you guys just get together already?" I groaned as we made our way to the elevator. Quinn just muttered something under her breath and rolled her eyes. I unlocked the door to see Marley sitting on the couch watching tv.

"Hey guys, have fun?" She asked when she saw us walk in.

"Yeah, totally!" I said happily then kicked off my heels.

"How was Bella?" Quinn asked as she too took off her heels.

"Perfect like always." Marley answered then gave me a weird look. "She's awfully happy tonight." She said to Quinn and nodded at me.

"Yeah, I'll beat out the details from her once I get out this dress." Quinn sighed and dug in her purse for some cash. "Thanks again Marley, see you later." She said as she handed the money over to the girl and walked her out. "Alright, talk." She huffed and eyed me suspiciously.

"What?"

"Don't 'what' me; I know something happened tonight with you and Santana." Quinn said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Spill the beans, Britt."

"B-But, I don't have any beans.."

"You know what I'm talking about."

"Fine." I huffed and wrapped my arms around myself taking my time before speaking. I slowly looked up at her then gave a toothy smile. "I-I got her number!" I cheered and flashed the new contact in my phone at Quinn. "See, right there! Santana Lopez." Quinn and I jumped around cheering until we realized that there was a sleeping 4 year old in the other room and decided that we should head off to bed. I changed out of my dress and into some comfy pajamas before snuggling into my bed. I set my phone on my night stand to charge and just as I was about to roll over and fall asleep, I heard it vibrate. I furrowed my eyebrows and wondered who could be texting me so late at night. It was probably Quinn telling me to bring her some water or a trash can or something; she's lazy when she's drunk. I reached over and looked at the screen. It wasn't Quinn, that's for sure.

_Santana: Hey, sorry if I'm waking you. Just wanted to say thanks for listening to me tonight, I can already tell we're going to be great friends. Goodnight ( :_


	7. Chapter 7 Cheer up, Buttercup

A/N Super long chapter because it's Thanksgiving & I wanna show how thankful I am for all your reviews and love for the story! ( ; Enjoy.

* * *

CHAPTER 7

_2 Weeks Later;_

"So, are you excited for your date?" Quinn asked as she handed the customer his coffee. I rolled my eyes and shuffled back over behind the coffee machine.

"It's not a date, Q." I huffed for the billionth time. "It's just lunch with a _friend_." I emphasized on the word friend since Quinn still couldn't get it through her head that that's all Santana and I were right now. Just friends. "Besides, I'm only doing this because she seemed really upset this morning." I replied as I passed a drink to another customer.

_3 Hours Ago;_

"Can you _not_ stare at the clock?" Quinn asked with her arms crossed. "Time won't go by any faster if you're staring." I exhaled deeply and looked away. She was right, I was just being paranoid. I mean, it's Wednesday. Santana always comes in at exactly 12:45 every Wednesday and it is currently 12:48. She is never late, ever.

"It's not that.." I mumbled at the counter. "She's late, she's never late." I heard Quinn stifle a laugh but when I looked up at her she quickly stopped.

"Britt, she probably got caught up at work or something." She suggested and rubbed soothingly at my back. "Don't worry about it too much." I nodded and stared back out the windows to see if I could see her approaching. Nope, nothing.

"What if she got hurt? What if she got kidnapped? What if she got abduct-"

"Britt, you're thinking too much." Quinn sighed and went back to wiping down the counters. I took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. She was probably right; I was just over thinking it. Just then I heard the clinking of the bells and snapped my head up to see Santana walking in with red eyes. My breath caught in my throat when I saw how upset she looked. I dropped everything I was doing and quickly walked around the counter and wrapped my arms around her. I didn't think about how much I was invading her personal bubble; I just let my body do whatever.

"Hey, it's okay." I cooed when I felt her body shudder in my arms. She dropped her head on my shoulder and I could feel the wetness of her tears seeping through my shirt. It broke my heart seeing her look so defeated like this, it was different from the usual super confident way she carried herself. "You're okay." I whispered again and rubbed at her back like Quinn usually does when I'm upset. The shop was empty right now, but I didn't want people to see her like this. "Come on; let's go to the break room." I said softly into her dark brown hair. I felt her nod against my shoulder and let me pull her away. I caught Quinn's confused look but I just shrugged at her, not exactly sure what to say. Santana was my priority right now. I sat down with her at the two seater table and handed her a box of tissues. She accepted them with a weak smile as her tears dissipated. "I never liked when people asked me what's wrong when I'm sad.." I said quietly as I watched her wipe her tears. "It just made me even more sad, so I'm not going to ask." I could've sworn I saw the corner of her mouth twitch in to a grin, but maybe not. We sat in silence for a couple minutes until her crying stopped.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come here." She huffed while dabbing at her eyes with the tissue. "You were working; you shouldn't have to take care of me like this."

"Nonsense, I wanted to." I replied with a smile. "We're friends now. If any of my other friends showed up to my work like you did, of course I'd drop everything. I don't like seeing people cry." She pursed her lips together and nodded with a weak smile. There was silence again.

"She blew me off again.." She sighed and looked down at the table.

"Brooke?"

"Uh-huh. She promised to take me out for an early lunch today, but she 'forgot'." She shook her head with disappointment. "I reminded her last night and this morning, how could you forget?" Her voice grew harsh again like the day when she walked me home. I knew the harshness wasn't meant for me though so I didn't take it to heart. "I let myself get excited and shit just to get fucked over..again." Her jaw clenched tight when she spat the words. It hurt me to see her so crushed, I remember her texting me a couple days ago about this little date she was having with Brooke and how excited she was because they hadn't gone out in forever. Once again, if it was me; I'd never let her down. But it's not me she's crying over so it doesn't matter. What matters is cheering her up.

"Well, how about_ we_ go out to lunch later then?" I asked with hopeful eyes. "I'm no Brooke, but I can try to be?" I suggested. "Though Sam is the _real _master of impressions.." I watched as Santana's eyes lit up with happiness again and a smile spread across her face.

"No, don't be like her. I like you better as Brittany." She said with the same wide smile. I tried hard to keep myself from blushing when I heard 'I' and 'like' and 'you' in the same sentence together.

"Okay." I agreed with a nod. "So do you wanna go out for a late lunch instead?" I asked again. "I sort of just came back from my lunch break.."

"I would love that."

"Cool! What time do you get off work?" I asked excitedly. Since we exchanged numbers a few weeks ago, we always talked about making plans to hang out but nothing ever happened.

"Mm, 4. What about you?"

"4:15!" I said a little too happily.

"Okay, how about I meet you back here and we can leave together?"

"Yeah, sounds good to me!" I replied. We both smiled at each other. "Oh! You must want something to drink!" I said abruptly getting up from the chair to head out. "Come on, we can talk about other _stuff_ later." I winked and went to open the door but felt cool fingers wrap around my wrist, spinning me around. I felt her slender arms wrap around my torso as her chin rested on my shoulder, pulling me close to her.

"Thanks for listening to me again." She mumbled. "I can always count on you to cheer me up."

_Present Time;_

"Whatever you say, Britt." Quinn called over her shoulder as she reached into the display case and pulled out a muffin then handed it to a different customer. We were slammed today, I sort of wished Christy was here to help out. I even heard Quinn say she was thinking about calling her in a couple hours early since she was supposed to come in when I got off, but she'd never admit to needing the newbie's help. "Still think it's a date."

"I just want to cheer her up." I muttered, she was starting to annoy me because she kept saying this was a date when it wasn't. Santana's in love with Brooke and love is something you can't get in the way of. That's okay though, I've waited this long just to be friends I can wait a little longer to be something more. Now that I was thinking about her, not like I'm not _always_ thinking about her, I decided to send her a quick text.

_To Santana: Cheer up, Buttercup! Everything's going to be fine. _

I smiled at the text and stuck my phone back into my pocket. "You know what, screw this." Quinn huffed and reached for the phone. "I'm calling Christy in early." I smiled at her calling Christy by her real name and not referring to her as 'the newbie'. I looked over at the clock, one more hour and I get to see Santana again! That was the thought that kept me going through these customers like it was nothing. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and pulled it out to see a new messsage.

_Santana: You are so wise ( :_

_An Hour and a Half Later;_

I looked up to see Santana leaning against the wall near the entrance of the shop. She definitely looked much better than when she came in upset earlier. She waved at me and smiled. "Alright Quinn, I'm out!" I called over my shoulder and pulled off my apron. "See you later, Christy!" I said as I passed the girl standing at the coffee machine. I weaved my way through the crowd of people trying to get to the Latina. "Oh hey, Heather!" I waved as I passed the girl and her friends sitting at a table. "Hey Heather's Friends!" I smiled and walked past more people until finally meeting up with Santana. "Hi!" I greeted her happily.

"Hey." She smiled then looked over to the door. "Ready to go? Actually, you lead the way since this was your idea." She laughed and held waved her hand out in front of her as she held the door open for me. Once I was finally out of the shop and into the city streets I felt relieved. The combination of a super busy day and the anticipation of hanging out with Santana were really stressing me out.

"Hm, where to eat?" I thought aloud, tapping my chin with my index finger. "What's your favorite type of food?"

"Ooh, that's a hard one." She said and furrowed her brows in deep thought. "I'd have to go with uhm, Italian."

"Okay, Italian it is!" I replied and started to walk in the direction of the closest Italian place I knew of which just happened to be across the street from me and Quinn's apartment. It wasn't that long of a walk, but I enjoyed being close to the Latina none the less. I would try to sneak a peek at her but she'd always catch me looking and scrunch up her face at me then focus back on walking. I loved when she did that, it was the cutest thing ever. There was one more block we had to go but the street was getting pretty crowded. I always had this fear of getting lost so I'd always grab on to Quinn and we'd weave our way through together, but Santana wasn't Quinn. I had already invaded her personal space once today; I didn't wanna do it again so I just focused hard on following the shorter brunette as she walked a little ahead of me. I was doing fine following close behind until a flood of people came walking across the crosswalk. I watched as she turned to look at the crowd approaching then turn around and look at me.

"Here, don't wanna lose you." She said and grabbed on to my wrist as she pulled me closer to her then looped her arm with mine. I had to be dreaming because there was no way I was walking down the street arm in arm with the beautiful Latina that I've had a crush on for months. "Now you can't run away." She said looking up at me with a smile. Yeah, like that was even a thought in my head. We successfully navigated through the mob and were back on a less crowded street, but we were still walking arm in arm. I didn't mind though, obviously. We neared the restaurant doors so I reluctantly dropped my arm and reached for the door. I held it open for her and gestured for her to walk through.

"After you, my lady." I said in my best butler voice as she walked through and tossed me a smile.

"And they say chivalry is dead!" She laughed and waited for me to walk in behind her.

"Mm, nah. I don't think it is." I shrugged and walked over to the hostess. "Two please." The older woman nodded with a smile and waved her hand to follow her to a small booth near a window that faced the bustling streets.

"Your waiter will be out in a jiffy!" She said and laid down our menus.

"Jiffy.." I smiled down at the menu laughing a little to myself. "like the peanut butter.."

"Mm, I think that's just Jif.." Santana said as she looked down at her menu. I shrugged, sounds the same to me. "How'd you know I love this place?" She asked as she looked up from her menu.

"Everyone loves Breadstix." I said peeking over the menu at her. "Do you already know what you're ordering?" I asked when I saw her put down the menu and look out at the window.

"Mhm, what about you?"

"Nope, I don't like ordering the same thing twice." I replied and ran my finger down the list of dishes. "What are you getting?"

"Uh, Chicken Parmesan with a house salad."

"House salad?" I asked with wide eyes. "Does that come in a house shaped box like those kid's meals at Mcdonald's or.." I narrowed my eyes trying to read her facial expression.

"Oh no, it's just like I don't know a regular salad that the restaurant makes." She explained with a grin. "It's like their special salad." I nodded my head slowly in understanding.

"Right.." I drawled out and set my eyes back down at the menu. "This is tough." I muttered after not figuring out what I wanted.

"Okay, well what if I pick for you?" She asked with hopeful eyes. "I mean, you always order me the best drinks. Maybe I can order you the best Italian food?"

"Yeah, okay!" I replied excitedly. "You choose for me then." She nodded and scanned her menu quickly before closing it up.

"You like chicken, right?" She asked glancing at me from the corner of her brown eyes.

"Yup!"

"Okay, good." She smiled. A moment later the waiter walked up with his notepad in hand.

"Hello ladies, my name is Chase, I'll be your waiter for the day, anything you need just flag me down." He waved a hand in the air and smiled down at both of use. I have the habit of looking people in the eyes since people are so weird about that. He had green eyes I noted. He smiled at the both of us, he lingered on me a little long before speaking again. "Can I start you guys off with something to drink?" He asked politely, finally looking away from me.

"I'll have a glass of Moscato." Santana said with her eyes narrowed at him in a way that seemed like she was mad. "What about you Brittany?" Her voice was harsh again and I was kind of confused why she was talking that way.

"Uhm, I'll just have water." I replied politely. Chase nodded and walked off. "Are you okay?" I asked when I watched Santana scowl at the guy as he left.

"Y-Yeah." She stammered and shook her head. "I didn't like he was eyeing you..so unprofessional." She huffed with her arms crossed. I've noticed she always does that when she feels threatened, it's like her defense mechanic or whatever. But it made me smile, was this jealousy that I was detecting? Nah..

"Huh, I didn't notice." I said innocently with a shrug. She looked over at me and smiled that one smile that people probably worked really hard at getting out of her as she dropped her arms to her sides.

"You're not very observant, are you?"

"I'm only observant when it comes to important things." I said with a sly grin.

"Oh? Like what?" She asked with a raised brow. _You_, I almost said.

"I guess you'll never know.." I answered all mysterious like. She rolled her eyes and huffed as she sat back. Chase came by shortly after with our drinks.

"So you ladies ready to order?" He asked pulling out his notepad. This time I could definitely tell he was staring at me a little longer than he should have. His eyes were focused on me to speak but I just waved my hand at Santana.

"She knows." I said and looked at Santana who had been previously glaring at the poor guy.

"She'll have the Chicken Capellini" She answered pointing over at me. "And I'll have the Chicken Parmesan with the house salad." She said folding up her menu and setting it on top of mine. "Oh, and she'll have a house salad too." She added then handed the guy our menus.

"Alright, it'll be out shortly." He said and took the menus from her hands as she kept the same scowl on her face. He looked like he was a little scared and walked off quickly.

"Why do you keep looking at him like that?" I asked curiously. Her face softened when she turned to face me.

"Like what?" She asked innocently. I narrowed my eyes at her not sure if she really didn't know she was looking at him like she wanted to hurt him.

"Like this." I clenched my jaw tight like she usually does and furrowed my brows. She rolled her head back laughing.

"I don't look like that.." She said with a breathy giggle. I tried rearranging my brow movements and jaw in hopes to match the Latina's facial expression correctly. "Stop that, people are going to think you're crazy." She laughed bringing a hand to shield half her face from the rest of the restaurant. I relaxed and went back to my normal face, failing at mimicking her scowl. We sat in silence for a moment. It wasn't an awkward silence this time, it was comfortable.

"So, how's working with _the_ Rachel Berry?" She asked emphasizing on _the. _"She's a mess, right?"

"She's alright." I shrugged. "She's always using big words to compliment me on my choreography so I guess that's good." I said. "I didn't know you two went to high school together." I watched as she slowly closed her eyes.

"She told you about Glee club, didn't she?" She sighed when I nodded to the question. "She loves telling people about my great downfall and how Glee club was the only thing that kept me sane."

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily call 'coming out' a great downfall." I said quietly. "She wasn't right?" I asked genuinely interested. She didn't answer right away and I thought maybe I was asking too much again.

"No, she was." She said with a grin.

"Have you always liked singing?" I asked. "I mean, have you ever taken lessons or anything? Hm, can you take lessons for that? I guess so, you can take lessons for dancing.."

"You're rambling again." She said through a smile. I felt my cheeks heat up so I tried to look somewhere else until it went away.

"Sorry, I tend to do that when I get really excited about something.." She laughed again.

"Well, to answer all your questions.." She drawled out. "Yes, I've always liked singing but it was mostly just in the shower and when I did chores around the house kind of singing. You know, never serious stuff." She said then took a sip of her wine. "And nope, no lessons but I could've if I wanted to but going to singing lessons wasn't really my thing. If I was made to sing then I wouldn't really find it fun anymore though I _do_ think it's my hidden passion." She shrugged and set her glass down. "What about you and your dancing skills? I haven't seen you dance since that one night a long time ago, but I wasn't paying much attention since I didn't know it was you."

"Hmm, well I've always danced. I think my mom said I started up around 3 years old? Yeah, it was 3 years old because that's when she put me in dance classes. Ever since then I've loved dancing, it's such a great outlet." I answered happily. "It's kind of like how you feel about singing, dancing is my passion but it's not really all that hidden." Santana nodded thoughtfully to my answers as another silence came over us.

"Mm, so you know when I came out..let's hear your great coming out story." She said with a wave of her hand.

"Well, it's not really all that _great_." I said as I reached for my water. "I mean, I sort of always knew I was different. My mom used to tell me that I would always play dolls with two Barbie's and no Ken. I mean, I had a Ken doll but I never used him when I played house. It was always two girls. So in junior year I finally realized that I loved girls the way I'm supposed to feel about boys and told my parents, it wasn't really a big surprise." I answered. "For awhile they thought that me and Quinn had something going on, but I reassured them that there was nothing but sisterly love there." She looked at me with her lips slightly parted as her eyes widened at me. "What?" I asked a little scared and looked behind me.

"You said you love girls the way you're supposed to feel about boys." She said repeating my words.

"Yeah?" I asked a little confused as to where this was going.

"Those are practically the exact same words I used when I told _my_ parents." She said. "What are the odds that we both used similar phrases when we came out?" She laughed and shook her head.

"Yeah, that's crazy!" I said and joined in on the laughter. We went on to talk about other stuff like family and our childhoods until our food came out. Though I stayed away from the topic, I didn't forget why I had invited her out to lunch with me, I still wanted to know about her and Brooke.

"Enjoy!" Chase said as he placed our plates down. I felt my mouth water as I looked down at my plate and over at her's, they both looked delicious! "Another glass of wine?" He asked Santana gesturing to the empty glass.

"Oh no, I'll just take water." She said this time without the glare then dug into her plate. I wasn't sure whether it was safe or not to bring Brooke up or not, but I hoped maybe the food would sort of distract her a bit.

"So, I'm surprised Brooke hasn't called you yet. It's almost been an hour and that's usually about the time you'd be getting a phone call.." I said trying to keep the mood light. She laughed and took another bite of her food. I did the same. "Woah, this is really good by the way." I said pointing at my plate with my fork.

"Yeah? I'm glad; I guess I've found something I'm good at with you." She smiled. "But yeah, she came in to my work and we talked it out." She shrugged. "Yeah, I was super pissed that she had forgotten, I mean _you_ know how excited I had been for this.." She said nodding her head to me.

"Yeah, I remember." I said in agreement.

"She said she'd make it up to me, so I'll see what she comes up with." She shrugged and went back to eating. I wasn't exactly sure if that was what I wanted to hear, that they talked it out but I just nodded along happily. I didn't want to make our friendship another thing that would stress her out.

"So you guys are okay now?" I asked trying to keep the hurt from my voice. I know it's kind of selfish of me, but I sort of liked the fact that she came running to me when Brooke had upset her. I liked the feeling of comforting her when she was crying and how she came to me when she needed cheering up. I didn't know if she had many other friends, but I couldn't understand why of all people she came to me? I'm just the coffee girl that just so happened to be secretly crushing on her. As always, I wasn't complaining.

"Mm, yeah I think so." She said with a weak smile. I don't know why, but hearing that hurt me a little. Something in me was hoping that they'd break up already, but if Santana was in love with Brooke there's not much I could do about that. Love is a very powerful thing.

"Well that's good." I replied softly, not sure where that queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach was coming from. "Hey, I'm gonna go to the bathro-" I swung my legs out of the booth just in time for Chase to come walking over with Santana's water that accidently ended up all over the Latina's blouse. I tightly shut my eyes and wanted to smack myself. Curse my clumsiness! "Shit." I muttered embarrassingly. "I'm sorry!" Chase quickly scrambled off the floor and pulled out a towel from his back pocket hoping to sop up most of the spilled water as he kept repeating how sorry he was for spilling water on her.

"Cold. Cold. Cold." I looked over at Santana as she pulled at her top with her thumb and index finger. I grabbed for my pink zip up jacket and slid out of the booth.

"Come with me to the bathroom, you can change out of that shirt and just wear this." She nodded and let me pull her to the bathroom.

"That water was so fucking c-c-cold." She chattered as we entered the bathroom. "I actually feel my skin turning to ice right now." I thought she was going to go into one of the stalls to take her shirt off, but she didn't. "Taking this shit off right fucking now.." She muttered to herself as she pulled her shirt over her head. Not wanting to sneak a peek at her changing, I spun around to face in the opposite direction which just so happened to be a mirror. I caught a glimpse of her toned back and her black bra and instantly squeezed my eye lids shut, already feeling my cheeks flush. I suck my bottom lip between my teeth and tried to push away all the dirty thoughts that flooded in at the sight of her smooth caramel colored skin. It wasn't helping.

"Brittany, the jacket?" She said as she tapped me on the shoulder. I looked down and saw that I had my hands clenched in fists around the pink jacket. I turned to hand it to her and accidently caught a glance at her abs. She had abs! I tried to keep my eyes from trailing up any further and practically threw the jacket at her before shutting my eyes again. I just saw Santana _shirtless_. God, is it hot in here or what? "Alright Pink Cheeks, you can turn around now." She teased and I knew my whole face would be tomato red just hearing the old nickname. She held up her wet shirt and smiled. "I feel much warmer now." She laughed and dug a hand into one of the pockets. "You are so dangerous, Brittany, I'm starting to get a little worried." She winked and led me out of the bathroom. I kept my eyes glued to her walking in front of me, my pink jacket keeping my attention. That jacket was always a little tight on me, but on her it was a perfect fit. Maybe it was just the fact that she was wearing something of mine and I knew that underneath she was only in her bra.

"I'm sorry I'm such a klutz!" I sighed and slumped into the booth. She shook her head at me and smiled.

"It's okay, Brittany." She said reassuringly. "It actually sort of works for you though in like this cute innocent kind of way." She clarified. "I bet that's how you get all the girls, right?" She asked with narrowed eyes and a smirk. I smiled, obviously not since I've done something clumsy around you more than 3 times in the past couple months already. She was about to speak again but the waiter came back over looking apologetic.

"I'm so so sorry, miss." He said to Santana with pleading eyes. "Your dinner is on the house." He said looking at both of us. "Again, I'm so sorry." He said once more and bowed before walking off. Santana turned to me again and smirked.

"Now dats how you do it." She nodded confidently. Her ghetto voice was definitely more believable than mine. "Let's bounce before they change their minds." She laughed and slid out of the booth. I followed her out the restaurant where we awkwardly stood in front of each other not knowing what to do next.

"So, that was fun." I said breaking the silence. "Aside from tripping the waiter and getting you wet."

"Just wanky.." She muttered with a smirk. I still wasn't sure what that word meant but it always made her smile like that at the ground. I shrugged and waited for her to stop acting weird. "I mean, yeah it was. I'm going to have to start carrying extra clothes and band aids with me whenever we hang out." She said with laugh then looked down at her phone. "Guess you spoke too soon about Brooke." She said wiggling her phone in her hand but she didn't answer. "I'll call her back." She shrugged and stuck her phone into her purse. "Let's just let her sweat it out for a bit." She said then looked back up at me. "Anyway, thanks for doing this. You really didn't have to, but it's cool that you did."

"Well, that's what friends are for." I shrugged with a smile. I looked down at my phone for the time and realized I need to get to Showtimes for practice in the next 20 minutes. "I'm just happy that you're not crying anymore. I don't like seeing you like that."

"Yeah, me neither." She sighed and looked down at her feet.

"But hey, I've gotta get to practice soon and I haven't changed into my dance clothes yet so I better get going." I said looking back down at the time again.

"Oh okay, I'll see you uhm Monday then!" She replied and waved at me as she walked off. I didn't work at the shop on the weekends now since I started working at Showtimes and let's just say that gap from Friday to Monday always seemed to drag without my daily dose of Latina.

"Bye, Santana!" I called and made my way across the street to get changed.

_Later That Night;_

"Honey, I'm home!" I called playfully as I swung the door of me and Quinn's apartment open. It had been a long practice today, almost 4 hours of nonstop teaching. I was completely beat.

"Britty!" Bella yelled and jumped off Quinn's lap where they were both sitting on the couch and ran over to me. I always loved coming home to Bella; she always acts like we haven't seen each other in years. It always felt like this great reunion whenever me or Quinn came home. "Where have you been?" She pouted and out stretched her arms for me to pick her up.

"What do you mean?" I asked with an arched eyebrow and bent down to pick up the girl, taking her back over to the couch to sit next to Quinn.

"I haven't seen you in a long time.." She huffed and wrapped her tiny arms around my neck and squeezed.

"Bella, don't choke her." Quinn laughed and patted on Bella's back to let go.

"Huh, it has been a while since we've had Bella/Britt night.." I said trying to think back to the last time I took the girl anywhere. "Guess I've been a little busy lately." I said looking down at her sitting quietly in my lap.

"You forgot about me." She huffed and looked up at me with puppy dog eyes.

"Me? Forget about you?" I asked defensively. "Never! How could I forget about my little Peanut?" I asked and tickled at her sides until she smiled again. "We can totally hang out this weekend..that is if mommy over there agrees to my plan." I narrowed my eyes at Quinn who had been listening in on our conversation.

"What plan might that be?" Quinn asked narrowing her eyes back at me.

"Well, I got a call earlier from Sa-"

"Hey Brittany!" Sam called as he came out of the bathroom and waved at me. I sent a smirk to Quinn who just rolled her eyes.

"Hey Sam!" I greeted and pulled Bella up with me as I got off the couch. "We'll talk about this later." I said to Quinn and watched as Sam turned to look at me all confused. "Come on Bella, let's get you to bed. Since mommy's too busy flirting to realize it's past your bedtime." Bella giggled in my arms as I carried her away to her bedroom. After tucking the little girl in and reading her a bed time story, I turned on her Finding Nemo night light and left the door cracked as I walked back out to the living room.

"So I'm just saying, it would be pretty fun if you went.." I heard Sam say as I walked past the couch. Ever since I got that call from him earlier talking about how bad he wanted to take Quinn out I've been trying to come up with a way to get Quinn to agree.

"What would be fun?" I asked interested. I love Quinn and she's my best friend and all, but she's gotta get back out there and hang out with people other than me and Bella. Sam and Quinn looked up at me.

"Uh, this one pool hall that just opened up. I heard it was really cool, something about glow in the dark tables. I don't it just sounded cool to me." He shrugged then smiled at Quinn. "I'm just trying to persuade her to come out with me. Just friends, not a date." I smiled down at the two. It was so obvious that they both liked each other but Quinn and her walls always got in the way of anything ever happening.

"Huh, well I happen to know that Quinn loves playing pool. She's really good at it too.." Quinn shot me a glare while Sam had his eyes on me. "You should go Quinn. I'll watch Bella, I already promised her a Britt/Bella night and there's no mommies during our Britt/Bella nights, sorry."

"Do you wanna go?" Sam asked with hopeful eyes. We both looked at Quinn, I nodding frantically so she'd say yes. She didn't answer and it looked like she was about to say no.

"She'll go, it's been decided." I announced and scowled at her. "You're going." I said sternly. "You mine as well go do something while me and Bella have fun anyway since you're not invited." She rolled her eyes at me then smiled at Sam.

"Okay, I'll go."

"YES! Finally!" He cheered as he pumped his fist in the air and stood up. "I'll pick you up tomorrow night around 7? Cool?" Quinn nodded with a sweet smile. "Nice. Well, I better get going. My shift starts in an hour and I need to do my warm-ups before heading in." He said over his shoulder as she walked him to the door. I leaned on the couch, triumphantly smiling to myself at finally convincing Quinn to hang out with Sam. She walked back over after saying her goodbyes and glared at me.

"I hate you." She muttered and walked off to her room.

"Don't forget about me when you send out your wedding invitations, !" I teased and headed for my own room welcoming my soft warm bed with open arms. I pulled my phone out and was just about to plug it in to the charger when it vibrated in my hand. New message.

_Santana: Thanks again for letting me borrow your jacket, you're a lifesaver! See you Monday ( :_


	8. Chapter 8 Nana'Splits

CHAPTER 8

_The Next Day;_

"So Quinn, are you ready for your date tonight?" I teased the other blonde as I wiped down a table in the dining area of the shop. I looked waiting for some rude remark but instead she just kept quiet and rolled her eyes at me from behind the counter.

"It's not a date.." Quinn muttered after a few minutes of silence. I looked up and smirked at her.

"Uh-huh, sure." I nodded and went back to wipe down a different table.

"It's not!" She huffed. "We're just friends.."

"Huh, sounds familiar doesn't it?" I asked with my eyes narrowed at her. "Now you know how I feel whenever you pick on me about Santana." I focused my eyes back on the table, feeling her burn holes in my back.

"Britt..that's different." She said softly. "You guys are meant to be together, just wait."

"I don't think we are." I sighed. "At least not right now anyway." It hurt to say that out loud, but I've been friend zoned. I mean, I'm okay with being Santana's friend and all but it's a little difficult sometimes to hang out with her if all I want to do is kiss her. Of course I think Brooke is a jerk for treating Santana the way she does, and yeah I don't think Santana is thinking clearly every time she forgives Brooke but there's only so much I can do. I don't want to be the reason why a couple breaks up, that's just not me.

"Yeah, well who knows?" Quinn shrugged. "Maybe all you need to do is make her jealous." I looked up from the table and stared at Quinn with brows furrowed. "I mean, she vents to you all the time about her love life and I know it kills you inside because you could do so much better than-"

"I can." I said cutting her off and walking over to the counter to face her.

"Well, what if you started to talk to someone too? Then you'd both vent to each other about your love lives. She'll get jealous then break up with Brooke and go for you! It's the perfect plan!" Quinn cheered excitedly.

"Uhh, I don't know. Wouldn't I just be using someone then?" I watched as Quinn's smile faltered. "And I don't even know if Santana even likes me like that! Maybe she just wants a friendship with me." I shrugged.

"Hmm, this is too much for me to handle." Quinn sighed and went back to cleaning. I thought more about what she said but couldn't see myself doing something like that when my heart is set on someone else. It's like I'd be lying to myself. Ugh, thinking about all this stuff was starting to give me a headache so I decided to block out all the thoughts by singing to the radio. The shop was pretty empty today so I didn't really have to worry about anyone walking in on me showing Quinn some of my new choreography I made up for the girls back at Showtimes. At least, that's what I thought. I was in the middle of this one routine when I heard the bells behind me clink. I knew it couldn't have been Santana because she doesn't usually come in on Fridays. I turned around and was met with a shorter girl with long wavy light brown hair that fell around her shoulders. She smiled up at me and I noticed how pretty her hazel eyes were, almost hypnotizing. For some reason I felt my throat tighten as she walked past me, her light brown hair bouncing with each step she took. I couldn't help but follow her with my eyes as she passed; taking in her slim frame and the way her jeans hugged her waist. I'm not going to lie; I did find that girl a bit attractive. Not as attractive as Santana of course, but still she was pretty hot. I blinked furiously then swallowed a lump that formed in my throat and walked behind the counter.

"Hi, what can I get you?" Quinn asked politely as she stepped up to the register. I looked over at the two waiting to hear the order so I could get started but instantly froze at what came out of the girl's mouth as she eyed me.

"I'll take one of her." She said smoothly and kept her eyes focused on me with this seductive looking smirk playing on her face. I felt my cheeks heat up and looked away from the girl as fast as I could. I heard Quinn snort and I knew she was rolling her eyes at the corniness.

"Uh huh, right. What about to drink or ea- actually, no I'm not going to finish that last part because I'm pretty sure I'll just be setting myself up for some sexual innuendo." She said coldly. "What would you like to drink?" She repeated. I chanced another look up at the two and caught the girl smiling at me again. She winked at me and handed Quinn her money before walking over to stand in front of me. "Alright B, she'll take a Soy Latte." I heard Quinn say then felt a cup being shoved in my hands. I was trying to focus on making the drink, but with the girl staring and smiling at me like that, it had me nervous.

"Uh, okay. Here you go." I mumbled and hand the girl her drink with shaky hands. What is going on with me? Why am I so nervous?

"Hm, you're cute." She said, taking the drink from my hands. I looked up at her and into her clear hazel eyes when she spoke. "See you around." She winked and walked out the door swinging her hips just enough to grab my attention. I literally felt like the wind was knocked out of me as I watched her leave.

"What the hell was that?" Quinn asked annoyed. "She must think she's some hot shit coming in here and hitting on you like that." I looked over at Quinn still confused on what just happened and why I feel so weird right now. "Oh no, no no no.." She said shaking her head at me. "I want you to make Santana jealous, but not with that one." She said sternly and pointed out the door. "That one looks like trouble and you've got enough trouble as it is." I took my bottom lip between my teeth. "Just anyone else but her."

"Alright, alright.." I huffed and leaned on one of the counters. "Don't you wish Heather wasn't in high school now?" I teased seeing Quinn was still thinking hard about that mystery girl that had just walked in. She rolled her head back laughing.

"Yeah, I mean we both already know she wants to have your lady babies.." She joked and the thought of doing anything sexual with that girl just grossed me out.

"Bleh, I don't wanna be a pedo though." I said and it made Quinn laugh even more.

_A Couple Hours Later;_

"Alright Q, I'm just going into Showtimes for a hour or so." I said pulling off my apron. "I'll be home in time for your _date_ tonight!" I called over my shoulder as I hurriedly walked past her just in case she wanted to try and trip me again like she did earlier when I brought up her outing with Sam.

"Whatever, Britt, I'll see you at home." She huffed with a weak smile. It didn't take long for me to get to the building since I didn't have to go home to change first; I had brought a bag with me to work and changed there. I pushed open the doors and was met with Noah looking out at the seating area in front of the stage.

"Hey Noah!" I said and made my way down the hallway to the studio. "Ohhh, nice! You got the lights fixed!" I cheered and wiggled my fists in the air. He laughed and nodded his head. I spun back around and entered the mirrored room to see everyone already stretching and warming up. "Oh good, you guys already started, cool!" I said happily and tossed my bag on the desk. I saw Kurt come out of Rachel's dressing room with his arms crossed. "Hi Kurt! Is Rachel back there? I want her to practice with the girls."

"Yeah, she's getting into her outfit now just hang on a sec." He replied with a smile and walked over to me. "So Britt, how are things going with Santana?"

"Uhh? Nonexistent? I mean, she's still with Brooke..I can't really do anything." I watched as Kurt rolled his eyes.

"Once she realizes she's in love with the old Brooke and not this Brooke then she'll finally get her life together." Kurt shrugged then walked back to the dressing room to check on Rachel. I turned back to face the rest of the girls then went around greeting everyone while I waited for Rachel. I always thought I was a friendly person and thought it was good when a choreographer got to know their dancers.

"Okay here she comes." Kurt said as he walked back out into the mirrored room with Rachel following close behind.

"Great! Okay guys, let's run through this a couple times." I said clapping my hands to get everyone's attention. "Rachel, you're going to be right here." I instructed the girl, pointing at a spot on the floor. "Group 1, here. Group 2, yeah! Good, good." I praised as I watched everyone fall into their correct positions. "Okay, Kurt? Music." I walked around the group as the music played watching for any mistakes or missteps. "Very good, guys!" I cheered when the song ended. "Just a few comments and you guys are all set." I said, walking over to a couple people who I thought needed a little extra guidance. "Okay Jenn, just make sure your leg is completely straight when you come out of the spin on the second verse." I said to the newer addition to the group. "Other than that, you were great!" She smiled and nodded her head. "And Jessa, remember to smile!" I said bumping her a little with my hip so she'd smile. "Yeah, like that." I replied then went back to face the group as a whole. "You guys are sooo gunna kill it tonight!" I cheered and clapped my hands as I watched everyone exchange high fives and fist pump. "We can run through it one more time, if you guys want?"

"Yeah, let's go through it again." Rachel said as she smoothed out her skirt. "We can't be anything less than perfect." She said with a confident nod. "Perfect." She repeated and scanned the other dancers.

"Alright." I shrugged then pointed at Kurt. "Hit it!"

_A Hour and a Half Later;_

"Oh look Bella, doesn't mommy look hot?" I asked with Bella in my arms as I walked over to the other blonde who was staring at herself in the mirror. Bella wiggled in my arms for me to put her down. When her feet hit the floor she was already running over to her mom to wrap her arms around her bare legs.

"Mommy you're so pretty!" Bella squealed. Quinn looked down at the girl and patted her head. I sat down on Quinn's be and watched the two interact.

"Why thank you, baby!" Quinn cooed and scooped up the girl. "You remember picking out this dress with me?" She asked her daughter who nodded her head furiously as she ran her free hand down her side.

"Are you and Sammy gunna be boyfriend and girlfriend now?" Bella asked innocently as her mom nearly choked on her air. I couldn't help but giggle at the little girl's innocence.

"Uhm, who knows baby." Quinn shrugged and narrowed her eyes at me through the mirror.

"Hey, wasn't me!" I said tossing my hands up in defense. Quinn rolled her eyes and huffed before smiling back down at Bella.

"So, what are you and Britt going to do tonight?" She asked as we walked out of her bedroom and into the living room.

"Mommy, I said I can't tell you.." Bella said sternly with her forehead wrinkled. "It's me and Britty's secret! No mommies allowed." I giggled at Bella's firm tone. Quinn faked a pout and looked sadly down at the girl. "No mommy, only I can do that." She laughed and cupped her mom's cheeks. Quinn pecked the girl on the nose and set her back down.

"Alright, Sam's downstairs now." I said wiggling my phone in my hand. "He just called me." Quinn nodded and slipped on her coat before walking over to Bella for a goodbye hug.

"Don't spoil her, I mean it Brittany." She said pointing a finger at me.

"Me? Never!" I said then threw a wink at Bella who hopped around excitedly then ran up to lean against my legs as we watched Quinn leave.

"Have fun on your date, mommy!" Bella called sweetly to her mother as she turned to head out the door.

"Really Britt? You've turned my own daughter against me?" She laughed. "Whatever, yall have fun."

"You too!" I said as I closed the door behind her then turned to Bella. "Alright kiddo, what do you wanna do first?" I looked down at my phone for the time, a little pass 7. "You hungry?"

"Yes! Can we eat ice cream for dinner?" Bella asked with hopeful eyes.

"Ha! Yeah right, your mom would kill me.." I laughed. "How about we have banana splits for dessert?" Bella liked the idea and nodded. "Okay, then we can play dance central later!" Bella like that idea even more and jumped up and down with excitement. "First things first, let's get some normal food in you first. How about pizza?"

"Yeah, pizza's yummy!" she cheered.

"Alright, well go get your shoes and jacket on and we can go." She ran off to her room in a flash while I slipped on my own jacket and stepped into some Toms. A few moments later I heard little pitter patters and looked up to see Bella rushing over to me with a huge grin. "Someone looks excited." I said and grabbed my purse. "Alright Peanut, let's bounce!"

_20 Minutes Later;_

"Hi sweetie." The older waitress said to Bella who grinned at the woman. "She's adorable." She said then pulled out her notepad. "What can I get you two?"

"Mm, water for me..make it two waters." I said eyeing the little girl next to me who was already hyper as it is. "What kind of pizza, Bella?"

"The pineapple kind!" She chirped and tugged on my arm.

"Okay, we'll get two slices of pineapple and ham please." I said to the waitress who nodded happily and walked off. Bella was contently coloring on a kids menu with crayons the waitress had brought over when her little head popped up and turned to look at me.

"Oh Britt, is the pretty girl your girlfriend now?" She asked innocently. I was trying my best to not think too much about the Latina seeing that the more I thought about her the sadder I'd get that she's not single.

"Mm, nope." I replied shortly, not wanting to get too in detail with a 4 year old about my nonexistent love life.

"Awh, how come?" She asked with a pout. I exhaled slowly trying to decide if I should answer truthfully.

"It's complicated." I said after a long pause.

"How?"

"It just is." I shrugged knowing that my answer was not going to be enough for the little girl.

"Why?" She asked again not looking away from her coloring. "Don't you like her?"

"Yeah, but-"

"And she likes you?"

"I don't kno-"

"Her face get all red when you smile at her like mommy's when Sammy says her dress is pretty.." She said, putting down her crayons and turning to look up at me. "That means she likes you." She shrugged like it was the simplest thing in the world to say and went back to coloring.

"If it were only that easy.." I sighed and brushed my fingers through her blonde hair.

"It _is_ easy; _you guys _are the ones being silly." The sassiness in her voice was definitely something she had picked up from Quinn.

"You know what, Peanut?" I asked and waited for the girl to look up at me. "You are so smart." I said and bopped her on the nose. "From now on I'm going to you for love advice, you're a pro." She giggled and cuddled into my side before going back to her coloring.

"Here you are ladies, enjoy!" The waitress said as she set down our plates next to our waters.

_2 Slices of Pizza and a Walk to the Grocery Store Later;_

"So we've got chocolate syrup and sprinkles at home." I said with Bella hanging on tightly to my fingers as we walked down the aisles. "All we need now is ice cream and bananas."

"And cherries!" She squeaked tugging on my hand.

"Yeah, and cherries too!" I added and walked in the direction of the produce section. "Alright, Bells." I said hoisting the little girl up to the mountain of bananas. "Pick some good ones." Her hands hovered over one bunch the back over to another smaller bunch before finally picking out a good looking bundle. "Nice. You hold those." I said after inspecting the bananas and setting her back down on the floor. We walked hand in hand over to the ice cream section after picking up a jar of cherries. We were nearing the aisle when I heard some people bantering around the corner.

"Oh please, if I wanted pay 8 dollars for a pint of ice cream I'd be sitting in some fancy creamery out in Italy where that shit is homemade!" That voice was definitely a female and I could tell she was just a tad bit upset.

"Miss, if you don't want to pay that price don't buy it." The guy's voice sounded shaky like he was scared or something.

"Oh hell to the no, I'm definitely not buying it." They said. "But I do need something sweet asap before I go all Lima Heights on someone." I smiled to myself thinking I knew that voice sounded familiar. We rounded the corner and instantly Bella tugged on my hand.

"It's her Britty, it's the pretty girl." She tried whispering with a huge grin. I looked down at her and nodded. I looked over at the Latina, it was strange to see her out of her usual business attire. She had on grey skinny jeans and a plain maroon t shirt that showed a tiny sliver of skin between the hem of her shirt and waist of her pants. I wasn't really listening to their conversation anymore as I admired how pretty she was even if she wasn't exactly dressed up.

"Oh, Brittany!" I heard someone say and shook away my daydreams. "Fancy seeing you here." I finally registered it was Santana talking as she walked up to me and Bella. "Hi Bella, you've got a lot of bananas there." She laughed and pointed down at the girl's arms.

"Britty's making nana'splits!" She squealed excitedly.

"Oh is that right?" Santana asked as she looked up at me and smiled. "Well, don't get the 8 dollar ice cream..that price is ridiculous." She laughed.

"We overheard you talking to someone and decided we'd come say hi." I said finally able to speak again. "So, hi."

"Oh, well..hi."

"So you got a sweet tooth?" I asked taking a peek into her hand basket she had that was filled with all types of candies and desserts. She smiled and looked down in her basket too.

"Yeah, it looks that way."

"Oh, can she come eat nana'splits with us?" Bella asked innocently as she tugged on my hand.

"Uhh, I don't know Bella." I said hoping that Bella wouldn't pout because she wasn't getting her way. "Santana might be busy." I looked over at the Latina who was smiling down at the little girl.

"Are you busy?" Bella asked with one hand on her hip and the other gripping the bananas as she looked up at Santana with a determined look.

"Mm, nope." Santana said to Bella with a shoulder shrug.

"See Britty, she's not busy.." Bella huffed with her eyes narrowed at me. "You're just being silly again." I shook my head slowly trying not to laugh at the seriousness in her voice.

"Geez, you're just like your mom." I groaned. "Are you sure you're not busy? I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to." I asked Santana then looked down at Bella. "She knows what no means." Bella scrunched up her face at me then smiled.

"it's fine, Brittany." Santana said with a smile. "I mean, I'm not doing anything and you'd kind of be saving me from buying all this junk food." She said raising her basket in her hands.

"Alright, I guess you're getting your way once again little one." I said scooping up the girl in my arms.

"Hey, can you put this back for me? Thanks." Santana said to the worker that she was arguing with earlier as she handed her hand basket of to him then following me and Bella.

"So what kind of ice cream do you want to use this time?" I asked Bella who still clutched the bananas in her arms. She squinted at the glass door analyzing all the pictures while Santana stood on the other side of me looking at all the flavors as well.

"Can we get rainbow kind?" Bella squealed.

"Is rainbow kind okay?" I asked Santana who just shrugged her shoulders.

"I'll eat whatever you guys want." She said with a smile.

"Alright Bella, we'll get rainbow kind." I said and reached in with my free hand as Santana held open the door for me. "I'm not sure what rainbow kind even tastes like." I laughed and stepped away from the freezer.

"I'll hold it, I feel like I'm not carrying anything." Santana joked and took the ice cream tub from my hand. We all walked in the direction of the cash registers.

"Alright Peanut, hand me the goods." I said putting the girl down and reaching for the bananas then putting them up on the conveyer belt along with the ice cream and cherries.

"Looks like banana splits." The cashier said with a smile. "it'll be $4.68." I reached into my pocket but before I could hand over the money, the cashier was already handing Santana her change.

"What? I had money, you didn't have to." I said grabbing for the grocery bag. Santana just grinned and shrugged her shoulders.

"It was just 5 bucks, no biggie." I sighed but couldn't help but smile at her kind gesture. Went to pick up Bella but saw that she had her arms extended up at Santana. "What's up, little one?" She asked down at the girl.

"She wants you to pick her up." I giggled and watched as Bella clenched and unclenched her hands in the air waiting for the Latina to get her.

"Oh." Santana mumbled and reached down to scoop up the girl cheerfully.

"Now do you wish you hadn't said that you wanted to hold something?" I laughed and led them out of the store. I snuck glances at the two seeing how Bella clung tightly to the Latina's neck as she buried her face in her dark brown hair. I smiled to myself knowing exactly what the little girl was doing. If anyone needed two people to get together, leave it to Bella to make it happen. "We can switch if your arms are getting tired." I said as we passed the pizza place Bella and I had eaten at earlier.

"It's alright, she's actually keeping me warm." The Latina laughed and watched as Bella huddled closer to the girl carrying her. We made up to the apartment about 10 minutes later thankful to be out of the cold.

"Mmkay, Peanut, go get into your jammies while I make the splits then after we can play!" I said as I set the grocery bag on the kitchen counter. Santana set the girl down and watched as she ran off to her room.

"She's adorable." Santana sighed and followed me to the kitchen.

"Yeah, she knows." I laughed and went to start on peeling the bananas.

"You need any help?" She asked walking around the counter to stand next to me, her arm brushing past mine as she reached over to start unpeeling another banana. "Sorry, I figured you'd say no." She smirked up at me.

"Well, if you got the bananas then I'll start with the ice cream." I turned to grab 3 bowls and the rest of the ingredients before scooping out the rainbow ice cream into the bowls. She slid the bananas in next to the scoops of ice cream as I topped it all with chocolate syrup and whipped cream then sprinkles and a cherry on top.

"Looks like cavities in a bowl, love it." She smiled at the bowl then up at me. Our eyes stayed focused on each other's for what seemed like forever until someone else entered the kitchen.

"Okay Britty, I'm finished!" Bella yelled as she ran into the kitchen.

"Just in time, look at all our banana splits!" Bella's eyes went wide as she looked at the creations.

"I want that one!" she said pointing to the middle one with the most sprinkles. I nodded and picked up the bowl along with the girl on my hip as Santana grabbed for the other two and followed me to the couch. "I love rainbow ice cream; do you like rainbow ice cream Sanny?" Santana's eyes widened at the new nickname then grinned.

"Mhm!" She mumbled as she lifted her spoon to her lips.

"Yay! Will you play with us too after we have our nana'splits?" Bella asked with a big toothy smile. I looked over at Santana for any signs that she was uncomfortable staying later, but she just smiled at the girl.

"Depends, what are you playing?" She asked as she dipped her spoon into her ice cream.

"Dance Central!" Bella squealed as she shoveled another spoonful into her mouth.

"Easy, you don't wanna get a brain freeze." I warned when I saw her going for another bite.

"Dance Central, huh?" Santana said like she was pondering the thought. "I don't know, I'm not a very good dancer.."

"Britty will teach you!" She said excitedly. "She's a chor-chor-chor.."

"Choreographer?" Santana asked and Bella nodded. "Yeah, so I've been told." She said sending me a grin. "How about you? Are you a good dancer?" She asked the little girl. "I don't wanna get beat by you.."

"I won't beat you at first; I'll let you win first!" Bella said reassuringly. "Pleassse?"

"Bella, don't beg.." I warned not wanting Santana to feel pressured.

"Well.." Santana sighed. "If you promise that you'll help me beat Britt then I guess I can play a game or two." Bella cheered and threw her arms around Santana's neck. "Hey, you didn't promise.." Santana said with her eyes narrowed playfully at the girl and held out her pinky.

"Ohh.." Bella mumbled then took her pinky with her own. "Promise!"

"Oh, so it's two against one now?" I huffed. "That's fine; I can take the both of you." I said confidently and carried the empty bowls to the sink. "Go ahead and turn everything on Bells." I called over my shoulder. For a 4 year old, Bella is like super smart. It's probably all the books Quinn read while she was pregnant. Either way, I was totally jealous sometimes. When I returned, Bella had everything set up and was giving Santana a quick lesson on how to play. "Alright, ready to lose?"

"I don't know, Bella promised she'd help me beat you so.." Santana winked at Bella.

"Alright, let's do this!" Surprisingly, Santana was actually a pretty good dancer. Her movements weren't jerky and her body moved fluidly to the music. She repeated over and over that she wasn't a good dancer but I thought otherwise. After being beat for the third song in a row, I threw up my arms in defeat. "I feel like I've just been bamboozled!" Santana and Bella laughed then high fived each other.

"Nope, just beat." Santana laughed. "Bella's a very good teacher, I owe it all to her." She smiled down at the little blonde and patted her on the head.

"I'm hurt Bella, so hurt." I pouted and sat down on the carpet with my arms crossed. "You're supposed to be on my side.." I mumbled and waited for the girl to come over. "Ha!" I yelled and wrapped my arms around Bella's waist as I tickled her sides. "Never under estimate the power of the tickles!" Bella giggled frantically as she tried to wiggle out of my grip.

"Help me, Sanny!" She cried between laughs. "Help!" Santana didn't make a move, just looked down at us laughing.

"You two are funny." She chuckled.

"She's not gunna help you , you're trapped!" I said confidently still tickling the girl's sides.

"Saaaaan, her neck!" Bella cried. "it's her weakness!" I was shocked that Bella gave away my secret tickle spot and tickled her even more. "Saanny!" To my surprise, Santana huffed and bent down then went into drag her fingertips along the back of my neck. It was more of an electric shock rather than a tickle when her fingers met my skin. I instantly loosed my grip on the girl but still held her in my arms. "Her ribs, her ribs!" I couldn't believe Bella was giving away all my weak spots; we'd definitely have a talk about this later. Soon I felt the Latina's fingertips run along my sides just under my arms. Now _that_ tickled. I started laughing hysterically as I tried wiggling away from the Latina while still keeping Bella locked in my arms. I uncontrollably clamped my elbows to my sides, locking Santana's hands between my ribs and biceps while still holding on to the squirming Bella.

"This is not fair!" I cried in between laughs. "Two against one!" Bella made one last attempt to wriggle free but instead lunged at me forcing me to topple backwards onto the Santana. I felt my head hit her stomach as Bella climbed out of my arms. "Ha, sorry." I said sitting up and pulling Santana up too. "I can't believe you took her side." I said narrowing my eyes playfully at Santana. "I thought we were friends!" She tossed her head back laughing. "Bella! Attack!" I said pointing to Santana but all Bella did was walk over and sit in her lap. "What? What is this?"

"I like Sanny." Bella shrugged and sent me a wink. "Don't you?"

"I-uh-It's passed your bedtime, Eggs Benedict." I quickly said hoping that Santana didn't notice the question. I told you Bella's sneaky, if she wants two people to be together she will make it happen. "Say goodbye to your new best friend." I said nodding over to Santana. Bella reluctantly hopped up and hugged the Latina before letting me pick her up. "You are very sneaky, little girl." I whispered into her ear once we were half way to her bedroom.

"And you two are very silly." She giggled and let me tuck her into her bed.

"Right." I said and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. "Night, Peanut." I walked back out to the living room to see Santana slipping on her shoes. "Sorry about Bella, she's kinda-"

"Silly?" she answered with a sly grin. I gulped wondering if she heard our conversation, but even if she did I don't think she would've understood.

"Yeah, silly.." I said with a smile and went to turn off the game and tv.

"I think it's cute. You and Quinn did a good job raising her, she's such a sweetheart." She said as she leaned against the couch. I grinned at the compliment.

"Thanks, that really means a lot." I said.

"No problem." She looked down at her phone to check the time. "I should get going though, but this was super fun and unexpected like always!" She said happily and slipped on her shoes.

"Yeah, and no accidents this time!" I replied triumphantly.

"Must be a new record."

"Gotta be." I shrugged and walked her to the door. "And no call from Brooke? Weird." She laughed and nodded.

"We're on a bit of a break right now" She said quietly and walked out the door. "I'll see you later, Britt." She smiled and turned to walk down the stairs. I nodded and closed the door, slumping into it before pushing off of it with a huge smile on my face repeating the words I'd been waiting to hear since ever.

_We're on a bit of a break right now._

It wasn't a full on break up, but it was one step closer..

* * *

A/N For my readers who wanted something to happen between Heather and Britt..Heather is in high school. Just saying, lol. & for everyone who's hating on San right now because she's not noticing Britt, remember..this is a Brittana story. Love the reviews, thank you!


	9. Chapter 9 Mystery Girl

A/N Thanks for all the reviews and love for the story! Much appreciated! ( : Sorry for such a short chapter, building up for next chapter.

* * *

CHAPTER 9

_3 Weeks Later;_

"So give me an update on what's happening in the world of Brittana." Kurt said as he made his way over to stand next to me while I waited for the rest of the dancers to arrive. I looked at him with my forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"Brittana?"

"Yeah, Brittany and Santana..Brittana." He said with a shrug. "Don't tell me you never mash people's names together.." He said with a chuckle as he eyed me from the corner of his eyes.

"I do actually." I laughed and thought back to the name I came up for Quinn and Sam. "But yeah, nothing's changed. We're just friends."

"What? I thought you said Santana and Brooke were on a break though?" Kurt asked with his arms crossed as he shifted his weight.

"They were.." I sighed with my eyes focused on the floor. "for a week and 3 days."

_One Week Ago;_

"So we're still on for lunch later, right?" I asked Santana from behind the coffee machine. Ever since her and Brooke had gone on their break we had been hanging out a lot more, just as friends though. We made it a sort of tradition to go out to Breadstix every Friday and Wednesday just to catch up. I knew she was still a little hurt and I didn't want to swoop in while she still had her mind on someone else. She needed her friend right now, not another girl trying to get in her pants. She nodded at me with a smile.

"Definitely, I actually have a lot to talk about." She said with a shrug. I handed the drink over to the girl with a grin.

"Cool! Can't wait!" I replied excitedly and watched as she waved goodbye and walked out. Little did I know that she and Brooke had just got back together the night before. When she told me the story later at lunch I tried so hard to keep a smile on my face at their reunion, but it was getting harder and harder to pretend to be happy for the girl.

_Present Time;_

"Ohh.." Kurt mumbled and rubbed on my arm soothingly. "I knew I should've told you that they go on 'breaks' often." If I wasn't feeling bad because I had missed my chance, I was feeling horrible now. "Oh Britt, don't be sad." He said cheerfully, but that was like telling a fish not to breath water. "On the bright side, that was the longest break they had ever been on.." I looked up at him and saw the tenderness in his eyes. "You know what? I bet if you danced in front of her, like up on stage, she'd forget all about Brooke!" He said hugging on my shoulders. "Hell, even I'd break up with Blaine for that!" He teased and dropped his arms. "Well, not really because you're gorgeous and all but I like a P instead of a V." I smiled at him and shook my head.

"You always know the right things to say to make a girl feel loved." I laughed and patted him on the back.

"Well, you know I try my best." He waved a hand in the air and strutted off to Rachel's dressing room. I heard heavy footsteps coming from behind me and spun around to see Noah standing in the doorway with a grin.

"Hey Brittany, how's everything going?" He asked with his hands in his suit pockets.

"Pretty good, just waiting for everyone to come in. ." I shrugged. "Rachel said that last night's performance made it in the newspaper." I watched as Noah's head bobbed up and down proudly.

"Yup, I got it framed up in my office already!" He announced happily. "You had some pretty amazing reviews too. You know Brittany, ever since I promoted you to choreographer this place just keeps getting more and more popular." He said. "All because of you!" I smiled down at my toes bashfully. "And just as a little token of my appreciation, I wanted to give you your holiday bonus personally and a week early I might add." He presented me with an envelope.

"Woah, seriously?" I asked staring down at the envelope. I don't think I've ever gotten a holiday bonus before so this was a pretty big thing.

"You didn't even open it yet." He laughed and nodded his head to the envelope. "Go ahead, open it." I didn't have to be told twice and tore at the paper.

"Oh my God." I stared down at the check thinking that this had to be a mistake, there was no way my bonus was almost doubled the amount of my paycheck. "Are you-"

"You're one of my best employees, Brittany, and if it wasn't for you this place would've been some hole in the wall joint with cheap entertainment but you've made this place something great." He said smiling. "You're an extremely hard worker and you should be rewarded."

"This is a lot, I mean I'm thankful and all but is business doing that well? What about everyone else? Are they getting bonuses too?" I asked worried that I might be taking away from others and I didn't want that especially since it's the holidays.

"Hey, business is doing great which is why I'm rewarding everyone so well. I mean, I could keep all the money to myself but I live alone so I don't have much to spend on." He shrugged. "Enjoy that, go buy whatever your little heart desires!" He laughed then turned to leave.

"Thank you Noah, this is definitely going to help me out this year!" I said still smiling widely at the numbers.

"No problem, you deserve it!" He said turning to leave again but then spun back around. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I did overhear you and Kurt talking about a certain stubborn Latina that I may or may not be best friends with."

"Wait, what?" I stuttered. "You know Santana?" I asked with wide eyes. He nodded with a smile.

"Sadly, yes." He laughed. "We had a few classes together in college and after failing miserably at trying to woo her we became best friends." I smiled at the thought of this guy trying to hit on Santana. "I know Brooke as well.." The mention of the girl that Santana 'loved' grabbed my attention.

"Go on." I mumbled.

"Yeah, she's a bitch." He huffed. "Santana has done some pretty stupid shit, but staying as long as she has with Brooke is probably one of the dumbest things she's ever done." I clenched my jaw when I heard him calling something Santana's done as stupid, but I shook away the feeling. "She is a very stubborn girl, very hard headed and proud. She'll never admit that she's caught in a horrible relationship until someone smacks it into her." He said with a shake of his head. "I like you, Brittany, for her that is." I smiled bashfully down at the floor.

"Everyone seems to be thinking that." He nodded knowingly and went on.

"She's talked about you a few times, always good things. Things she wished Brooke did." He smiled over at me when he said that. "I always tell her if she likes all the things you do so much drop the fucking loser and go for the real winner." He huffed. "But like I said, she needs to be slapped around first to get her thinking straight again." I nodded at him. "I think you're just the person for the job."

"Oh no, I don't want to hit her.." I stammered. "I'm not a fighter." His shoulders bounced as he laughed at my reply.

"That's not what I meant." He sighed with a smile. "I mean, people change. Some for the better, like me." He looked at his reflection in the mirror with stormy eyes. "And some for the worse, like Brooke." He added then turned to me. "See you later, Brittany, think about it. Keep up the good work!" I waved as he left and tried to think about everything he had just said. I exhaled deeply and I stared back down at the check still shocked at the large number. I can't believe I just got a holiday bonus for almost $6,000, Quinn and Bella are definitely getting extra nice presents this year!

_The Next Morning;_

"Damnit, I was really rooting for her too." Quinn sighed from the other side of the counter. "You were this close, Britt, THIS CLOSE!" After telling Quinn how happy I was about Santana and Brooke's break only to be crushed a week and 3 days later hearing that they were back on really ticked Quinn off. Yes, I've got feelings for Santana but she is also a very good friend of mine aside from romantic feelings. So when Quinn goes off in her little rants about how angry she is with Santana, it puts me in a weird position. "I'm really starting to think that she's just a lost cause. You know how much it's taking me not to kick her ass every time I see you even _look_ upset when you hear her name? It's really hard!"

"Quinn..can you just talk about something else." I groaned. I was so over listening to her remind me of how 'close' I was to actually dating the Latina. I should've known that Santana and Brooke going on a break would've been way too easy, anything with the Latina involved had to be difficult.

"Fine, I'm sorry." Quinn huffed and turned her scowl to a smile. "What do you want to talk about?"

"How about what you want for Christmas?" I grinned. "Or more importantly, what _Bella_ wants for Christmas.." I focused on her waiting for an answer when her eyes landed on someone behind me. I perked up thinking that it was Santana. I spun around and was met with the light brown wavy haired girl from a few weeks ago, the flirty one that Quinn refused to let me talk to. She smiled charmingly at me as she sauntered past me and stopped in front of the register. My mouth went dry again as her perfume floated its way to my nostrils, temporarily stunning me.

"Britt, get over here." Quinn's voice broke my daze and I quickly walked around the counter over to the other blonde. "I'm going to the bathroom; you think you can handle her?" Quinn stared into my eyes like she was trying to tell me something but I was never good at reading minds. Déjà vu.

"Promise I'll be easy.." I looked up to see the girl watching me with a flirty smile. I swallowed hard and turned to face Quinn again.

"Remember what I said? Forget it, go try something new." Quinn whispered as she disappeared into the back room. I stood there a little longer with my back to the brunette trying to get my head around what Quinn just said. _Do something to make Santana jealous_. I sighed, I didn't want to make Santana do anything but if this was something that could speed up the process then I guess I could give it a try.

"Sorry, what would you like to order?" I said politely as I spun back around to face the smiling girl. The way she licked her lips and looked up at the menu board sent a familiar wave of tingles through my body, feelings I thought were only reserved for a certain Latina.

"Mm, I actually don't drink this kind of stuff.." She answered looking away from the menu and back to pierce me with her sparkling hazel eyes. I cocked my head to the side in confusion; she ordered something here before though. She must've seen the gears turning in my head because she pressed her lips together forming another grin. "My boss wanted me to do a coffee run." She shrugged in this adorably cute way that made me wanna stick her in my pocket and keep her forever.

"Ohh, well if you don't like coffee then what do you like?"

"I like you." The words fell from her mouth effortlessly as she smiled sweetly up at me. I was taken aback by how forward she was being, it was definitely different from Santana's behavior.

"No you don't." I laughed and shook my head before staring down at the counter I was leaning on. "You don't even know me."

"But I want to get to know you." She said smoothly as she dipped her head down and struck me again with her hazel eyes. I was speechless again, here was an attractive girl actually _wanting_ to get to know me, actually_ wanting_ to be more than a friend. "I'm sorry if I'm being a little too forward." She giggled and looked down at her toes shyly. "But when I see something I want, I just gotta have it."

"Didn't anyone ever tell you you can't always get what you want?" I replied just as smoothly, shocking myself at how my voice came out in that flirty tone that I was too scared to use on Santana. She smiled a lopsided grin then narrowed her eyes at me seductively.

"Yeah, but I don't listen to them." Her voice dropped low and husky sounding as she leaned a little closer to me. "So, let's just cut to the chase." She huffed staring at me with those hazel eyes that seemed to put me in a trance. "You are one of the most gorgeous girls I've ever seen and I can tell by the way your cheeks turn a little pink when I do this.." She leaned even closer and gave me a charming smile. "that you don't necessarily find me ugly." My cheeks flushed at how close she was that I could feel her warm breath tickling my neck as she spoke. "So let's do both of us a favor, let me take you out." She said confidently as she leaned back a little. "What time do you get off?"

I stared back at the girl, she was definitely a charmer. Everything about her screamed perfect and that had me a little worried. I couldn't believe I was actually considering going out with this girl, I didn't even know her name! Quinn did say I should try something new, so maybe I could give this girl a chance. I mean, it would be just one measly date if it sucked then I wouldn't have to see her again. Just as I was about answer her, she looked down at her phone ringing.

"Sorry, one sec." She said politely and stepped away from the counter which didn't really do much to keep me from hearing her conversation since she was the only one in the shop at the moment. "I'll be there soon. *pause* No, I didn't forget. *pause* I stopped going to the bakery a long time ago, seriously. *pause* I know what time it is. *pause* Okay, I'm on my way now. See you soon."

"Forgot you had already made plans?" I asked when she walked back over, slipping her phone back in to her butt pocket. She smiled down at the counter embarrassingly and did that shrug again.

"Maybe..but she can wait." She said smoothly as she attacked me with her eyes. "I can at least order something for the lonely walk home." She sighed and looked up at the menu again. "What do you suggest?" I instantly thought of Santana and that first time I actually talked to her. I shook the thought away, set on giving this girl a chance rather than waiting forever till Santana came around.

"Hm, well if you don't like coffee then hot chocolate is really the only way to go." I replied with an equally bright smile. "How about a White Hot Chocolate? It's one of my most liked.."

"Most liked, huh?" She said looking at me with flirty eyes. "If you like it then I'll like it." She replied sweetly. "I'll take one of those along with your number." She winked and made my cheeks flush again. "Sorry, I can't control myself sometimes when there's a pretty girl standing in front of me." She apologized. "Tall blondes are sort of my weakness." I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth in attempt to hide my goofy grin. "Geez, can you not be so adorable all the time?" She said shaking her head with a giggle.

"Alright, quit trying to charm the pants off me." I laughed. "I'm already agreeing to you taking me out so save your pick up lines before you run out."

"Really? You're letting me take you out?" She asked with a wide smile. I nodded. "Great, I promise you'll have the most fun ever." Her excitement was cute and it was refreshing to have someone actually reciprocating the same feelings for once. I grabbed for a tall cup and went to make her drink.

"So can I get a name, mystery girl?" I asked peering at the girl over the cup with a marker in hand. I really didn't need to write her name down, but I needed a sneaky way to find out her name. "You know mine." I said and tapped the marker at my name tag. She nodded slowly with a smile.

"It's Brooke."


	10. Chapter 10 We Are Done

A/N I was blown away by the number of reviews for last chapter, you guys are amazing! High fives to everyone who guessed Brooke to be the Mystery Girl. As a token of my appreciation, here's chapter 10 early! Enjoy.

* * *

CHAPTER 10

_Thursday;_

I still couldn't believe I almost went on a date with of all people, the girl that Santana was in a relationship with! After the girl finally revealed her identity, I was so shocked that I ended up calling Quinn out to finish the order before I jumped over the counter and attacked this girl. Like I said, I'm not a fighter but I seriously thought about it after hearing all of the mean things Brookes's done to the girl I had feelings for. Quinn was confused at how weird I was acting but after she had made the girl her drink and shooed her away, I told Quinn everything. To say Quinn was pissed would be an understatement. She cursed me for not telling her _before_ serving her saying she would've spit in her drink or something equally gross. I laughed at her sick ways of getting back and told her that I needed to see Santana asap.

We don't normally have lunch on Thursday, but I told her that I really needed to tell her something. Now I'm sitting across from her at our usual booth in Breadstix trying to figure out the right way to say this. I mean, this isn't really an easy thing to tell someone and I'm not exactly comfortable with crushing the girl's heart.

"Britt.." She said dipping her head down to find my eyes. My stomach flopped at hearing the nickname. "Please, just tell what it is. You're acting really weird." I licked my lips and nodded slowly.

"Sorry, I'm just trying to find a nice way to put this." I muttered with my brows furrowed. "But there isn't really a _nice_ way of putting it." I shrugged and looked up at the Latina was sad eyes.

"That's okay, I'm a big girl." She said reassuringly with a wink. "You don't need to sugar coat it." She added sitting back in her seat with a worried look on her face.

"Right." I mumbled and swallowed thickly. "So I-uh-ran into this girl at work a couple days ago.." I watched as the Latina's eyes scanned mine for where this was going. "She was very pretty and nice, a little too flirty, but still nice." Santana quirked and eyebrow up at me and nodded slowly to urge me to continue. "She had-uh-long wavy light brown hair.." I watched as Santana's eyes widened a little at giving away a similar detail of the girl she was in a relationship with.

"Okay, go on.." She stammered with her head cocked to the side.

"She had asked me out on a date, saying that I was gorgeous and whatever." I said trying to keep my voice low and steady. "I couldn't really say no because her eyes, they were so-"

"Hazel. She had hazel eyes, didn't she?" Santana snapped looking down at her hands as her jaw clenched. "You couldn't say no because they were so hypnotizing, right?" She didn't look up.

"I asked for her name for the drink order and it ended up being her." I added slowly feeling sorry for the girl in front of me. "I said no of course, but I'm really sorry Santana."

"That fucking bitch!" She bit harshly and shook her head. "No wonder she was fucking late that day!" I pressed my lips together, remembering Brooke's phone call.

"It was you that called her.." I breathed. "You asked about a bakery." Santana looked up with watery eyes and nodded. My heart twisted in knots at the tears forming in her eyes. "Please, please don't cry." I begged and reached over to wipe away a fallen tear with the pad of my thumb. I didn't mean to do that, I wasn't thinking, like the hug..i let my body do whatever again. "I hate seeing you cry."

"I know, I'm sorry." She said with a weak smile at dabbed at her eyes with her napkin.

"You deserve so much more." I said without thinking, looking at the girl with a lopsided grin. "Staying with Brooke is only keeping you from finding true love and happiness." I added. "She's got you so messed up, you're blinded by a false love. You don't' even see all the good things that could happen right in front of you." She looked up at me with soft eyes and sucked in her bottom lip before smiling.

"You're right, Britt. I'm so ending it. Tonight, in front of everyone at Showtimes, I'm going to embarrass the fuck out of her." She said bitterly then looked up at me with soft eyes. "Can you be there too?" She asked and it made my heart skip a beat. "I'm working off the adrenaline right now, but I need you there." She needed me, I smiled at the thought. "You know, to remind me of happier things." I smiled over at her and nodded.

"Of course."

_Later That Night;_

"So did Santana say what song she was singing tonight?" Sam asked as me and Quinn walked next to him through the doors of the club. "I'm totally excited; she's got a killer voice." I smiled and nodded along with him.

"Uh, no she didn't tell me." I answered. "I've got my mind on other things.."

"More importantly, how the hell are we supposed to act with Brooke there?" Quinn said as she huddled closer to me. "I'm so ready for Santana to kick that bitch to the curb." She winked and nudged me with her elbow. After telling Quinn about what me and Santana talked about at lunch, she was back to rooting for the Latina.

"Santana just said to act normal." I shrugged. "She'll deal with Brooke." Quinn eyed me suspiciously then nodded slowly before moving closer to Sam. "There, there's Santana." I said pointing over to the waving Latina. I waved back and pulled the two with me as we walked over to the couple. Brooke's back was towards us as we walked up while Santana was facing us.

"Hey guys, glad you could make it!" She said cheerfully, her eyes landing on me for a little longer than she should. "This is my girlfriend." She said with a smile and patted Brooke's shoulder. "Brooke, quit being rude. Say hi!" I felt my heart race and my palms heat up as the girl slowly got up and faced us. Act normal, I repeated in my head. I watched as Brooke's eyes went wide when she saw me and Quinn.

"Hi." I breathed and smiled politely. I watched as Santana's lips curled into a smirk as she watched her girlfriend grow incredibly uncomfortable.

"Uhh, hey." Brooke stammered. "What's up!"

"Oh this is gunna be good." Quinn snorted and threw Brooke an eye roll as she pulled Sam to sit next to her at the booth that Santana and Brooke had been saving. I nodded at Brooke then let my eyes wander over to Santana who was still smirking.

"Alright well, you guys came just in time!" Santana clapped and directed me to sit down. "I'm up next." She said then pushed Brooke a little to sit down. "Listen close baby, this one's for you." She said to the confused girl and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek before throwing me one last wink. I gave her a thumbs up and watched as she walked off. I scooted in closer to Quinn while Brooke sat on the edge of her seat the furthest away from us as we waited for the announcer to speak.

"Alright guys, you know her well..here's Santana Lopez!" The guy said cheerfully then waved his hand to the Latina walking confidently across the stage. She walked up to the stool and sat down, adjusting the mic stand in front of her as she smiled over at our table, mainly focusing on Brooke.

_White knuckles and sweaty palms from hanging on too tight  
Clench of jaw, I've got another headache again tonight_

I smiled when I recognized the song, Pink's infamous for being badass when it comes to break ups so this song would fit the Latina perfectly. I watched as she grabbed the mic tightly, singing the lyrics with closed eyes. She brought the ball of her hand up to her head as she sang the last line shaking her head from side to side before popping her eyes open.

_Eyes on fire, eyes on fire, and the burn from all the tears  
I've been crying, I've been crying, I've been dying over you  
Tie a knot in the rope, trying to hold, trying to hold,  
But there's nothing to grab so I let go_

There was such anger as she sang the first lines, it kinda scared me a little but when I looked over to Brooke looking defensive I smiled. I looked back up at the stage and grinned proudly at the Latina who was singing with so much passion, I could almost feel her rage. Though I've only seen her perform once before, I could already tell she was a great performer. She sang the last line of the verse letting her voice carry over the whole club making people get up and start clapping at how long she held her high note. I was one of those people standing cheering her on.

_I think I've finally had enough, I think I maybe think too much  
I think this might be it for us  
You think I'm just too serious, I think you're full of shit  
My head is spinning so, blow me one last kiss_

She looked directly to Brooke as she waved her hands in the air making all these gestures before slapping a hand to her thigh and getting up from the stool. I looked over at Quinn who had her hand hiding a smirk while Sam was staring wide eyed at the whole performance. We didn't really fill him in on what had been happening with everything so he was just shocked overall. Even if you weren't in on the hidden drama, everyone could tell that this song was definitely being sung to someone and that someone must've really messed up to have the Latina singing with such passion.__

Just when I think it can't get worse, I had a shit day  
You had a shit day, we've had a shit day  
I think that life's too short for this  
I want back my ignorance and bliss  
I think I've had enough of this, Blow me on last kiss.

She grabbed the mic with both hands again and tightly shut her eyes as she belted out the verse effortlessly hitting each note perfectly. I watched as Brooke shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she brought up her hand to rest under her chin. I quickly focused back to the Latina as she popped the mic of its stand and strutted directly to Brooke.

_I won't miss all of the fighting that we always did,  
Take it in, I mean what I say when I say there is nothing left  
No more sick, whiskey-dick, no more battles for me  
You'll be calling a trick, cause you'll no longer sleep_

She walked straight to Brooke, pointing at her every now and then when she sang a certain word, while the whole club followed her with their eyes. She bent over, only inches away from Brooke's face as she sang the first couple lines smiling at her sweetly and shrugging her shoulders. She shook her head from side to side as she sang the next line then stood up a little then cupped the girl's chin before rolling her eyes at her and pushed her face away before walking over to me.

_I'll dress nice, I'll look good, I'll go dancing alone  
I'll laugh, I'll get drunk, I'll take somebody home_

She reached her hand out for me to take then pulled me out of the booth as she kept her eyes on singing to her future ex. Me, being a natural dancer, picked up on the rhythm of the song and moved smoothly around her as she sang the lyrics before she grabbed one of my hands with her free one and spun me into her as she belted out the last word to Brooke with a cheeky grin. She guided me back to my seat sending me a quick smile as she sang the chorus again. Brooke stared back at me with a confused look but I just shrugged and continued watching Santana sing.__

I will do what I please, anything that I want  
I will breathe, I won't breathe, I won't worry at all  
You will pay for your sins, you'll be sorry my dear  
All the lies, all the why's, will all be crystal clear

She turned back to Brooke and tossed up her hand at her while she sang then cupped her chin again shaking the girl's head a little as she pouted before singing the next line, then dropped her hand and rolled her eyes as she walked back up to the stage with attitude. __

I think I've finally had enough, I think I maybe think too much  
I think this might be it for us  
You think I'm just too serious, I think you're full of shit  
My head is spinning so blow me one last kiss

She walked back up the steps and placed the mic on its stand as she sang the last of the lyrics staring directly at Brooke whose cheeks were reddening from either embarrassment or anger or maybe both. I definitely didn't want to be in Brooke's shoes right now, practically everyone in the club was looking at her, faces contorted in puzzlement as to why the regular was singing with so much angst to this girl. None the less, when the song ended everyone got up to clap. Everyone except Brooke who just sat their paralyzed with what just happened. I watched as the Latina bowed the walked off the stage and back over to our table.

"I'm going to get some drinks, I'm pretty sure I'm missing some key information right now." Sam said quietly to me and Quinn as he scooted out of the booth and made his way to the bar. As soon as Santana neared the table, Brooke shot up from her seat and stomped over to the Latina.

"We need to talk right fucking now, Santana." The girl bit, her tone extremely harsh, something I would've never pictured for the sweet looking brunette. Me and Quinn looked at each other with wide eyes as we watched the couple begin to argue right in front of us.

"No, we don't." Santana said sternly. "We are done."

"You can't break up with me!" Brooke snapped and threw her arms up in the air.

"I just fucking did!" Santana answered bitterly as her eyes narrowed at the girl. "You are a real piece of work, Brooke, you really are."

"What is it now, Santana?" Brooke groaned. "Who do you think I'm sleeping with now?" Santana rolled her eyes and shook her head with a tired smile.

"More like who you _wish_ you were sleeping with." Santana replied nodding over to me. Brooke followed her gaze and stared at me. I felt nervous with both girls looking at me that subconsciously scooted closer to Quinn.

"I don't even know her!" She sighed loudly, clearly lying.

"You are a fucking liar, Brooke." The Latina growled. "I know for a fact that you do know her."

"You're crazy." She laughed.

"No, I'm just done with putting up with your bullshit!" Santana said. I felt like standing up and clapping screaming 'finally!' at the top of my lungs. "I am done with you Brooke." I smiled at the Latina knowing that it must've taken her hours to perfect saying that little sentence with such confidence. "I'm done with all your lame ass excuses, dealing with all your drama, listening to your half ass apologies; I'm just over it all." She huffed crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't know how the fuck I lasted this long with someone who was clearly full of themselves. I'm embarrassed."

"You're embarrassed? You've got the whole place staring at us!" Brooke yelled back with a sarcastic laugh. "You're such a fucking bitch." I clenched my jaw tight at hearing Brooke utter that word and found myself sliding out of the booth and pushing Santana off to the side of me as I squared up with Brooke.

"Do not call her that.." I bit towering over the smaller brunette. "ever." I watched as Brooke's eyes flickered from Santana over to me then back on Santana.

"So you're leaving me for this?" Brooke said bitterly as she waved a hand in my direction before turning to look up on me. "Huh, I thought you were just a hot piece of ass. I guess not." She shrugged staring at me with this judgmental look. "You're an idiot if you actually think Santana is worth all the trouble."

"Brooke, watch your fucking mouth." Santana said stepping forward as I tried to keep from attacking the girl.

"Fuck you, Santana." She snapped. "You'll never be anything more than a dumb bitch with a ba-"I lost control of my body as I found myself straddling the brunette's torso as I pounded my fists into her face. She was surprisingly strong as she rolled me over onto my back and returned the hits. I dodged most of them and managed flip her back over regaining control. All I saw was red as I kept repeating Brooke's previous statement in my head only to fuel my anger even more. Everything was muffled sounding as I focused only on beating the shit out of the girl who had insulted my friend.

"Britt!" I heard someone yell. "Britt, take it easy!" That was another's voice, but I didn't take my eyes off of the smirking girl under me. My limbs tangled with Brooke's as her hands fisted into my hair. "Brooke get off her!" I heard another voice. "Britt, listen to me, it's not worth it!" I saw Quinn dip her head to find my eyes. I struggled with Brooke as she threw her fist into the side of my face. I winced in pain then felt slim arms wrap around my waist, lifting me off of the bleeding brunette.

"What the hell is going on here?" Noah yelled as he forced his way between us.

"Brooke, back off!" Santana snapped as she pushed the girl further away while Quinn held on to my body tightly.

"Get out of my way, Noah!" I yelled angrily trying to wiggle away from Quinn and lunge for the brunette.

"San, get your crazy ass girlfriend out of here!" He shouted over his shoulder to his best friend.

"She's not my girlfriend anymore, that's for damn sure!" She called still trying to push Brooke away from me until some bouncers finally came and carried the girl out. Noah turned to face me, doing his best to block me when his eyes landed on the blonde behind me and his face softened.

"Quinn?" He mumbled with wide eyes. "What are you-" He couldn't finish his sentence as he stared at the girl. I furrowed my brows at the interaction and easily broke free from Quinn whose grasp loosened as soon as Noah said her name. All the excitement from the fight seemed to vanish as this weird silence came over the three of us. How did he know her name? I don't remember ever talking to Noah about Quinn before, maybe Rachel or Kurt said something to him, but that still didn't explain why the two were looking at each other like that. "Quinn.." He said softly again and reached for her hand but she backed away with this strange expression on her face then ran off in the opposite direction. My eyes widened at seeing her run off like that, I was clearly missing out on something.

"What's wrong with Quinn?" Sam said worriedly as he walked over with a beer in hand then looked at me and did a double take. "Woah, what the hell happened to you?" He blinked a couple times then looked in the direction of Quinn then back at Noah who was still staring after her. I watched as his faced started to turn red and his brows furrow as he squared up Noah. "What the fuck did you do to her?" He snapped angrily, setting his beer on the table as he stared the taller guy in the eyes.

"Don't push me, blondie, you don't know anything." Noah said with his voice frighteningly low.

"I know that you made my friend upset!" Sam said bringing his hands up to the other guy's chest and giving him a hard push.

"Stop the violence." I said and pulled Sam away while I saw Santana come up behind Noah and push him back. "No more fighting tonight." I said sternly. Sam gave one last glare in Noah's direction then looked down at me with soft eyes.

"I'll go find Quinn." He said quietly and walked off. I exhaled and sat down on the booth, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. What the hell just happened? I went from beating the crap out of Santana's now ex girlfriend to preventing another fight from breaking out between my best friend's future boyfriend and my boss in less than 10 minutes! I looked down at my hand that I just wiped my mouth with, blood.

"Oh, you're bleeding..again." I looked up to see Santana coming over to kneel in front of me. "Well there goes our perfect record." She smirked then reached over to grab some napkins from the table and used some of the condensation on Sam's beer to wet it before bringing it up to brush against my busted lip. I watched at how her eyes focused so closely to my cut as her hand worked gingerly at cleaning my wound. I tensed under her touch then slowly let myself relax as she continued to pat at it with the wet napkin. "I never pegged you as a fighter, Brittany." She said with a weak smile as her eyes remained focused on my lip. "Usually I'm the one getting into trouble and coming out with busted lips."

"I'm sorry, I'm not usually so aggressive like that." I said in a soft voice, keeping my eyes lowered. "I don't know what came over me." I shrugged as she still tended to my injury, her dabbing so feather light that I barely felt her.

"You don't need to apologize, Britt." She said with a breathy laugh. "I thought it was very noble of you, sticking up for me like that." After all that's happened today, finally hearing her laugh somehow made everything worth it all. She needed someone in her life that could make her laugh like that all the time; I hope she'll let me be that for her one day. "You didn't have to do that." She mumbled with her eyes still on my lips. I leaned into her touch, drawn to the scent of her hair so that our heads were just a few inches away from each other.

"No, I wanted to though." I shrugged, looking down at her lips. "I feel strangely protective over you." I murmured without thinking. I watched as her hand froze and she slowly looked up at me through her long eyelashes. I suddenly felt extremely self-conscious that maybe I've said something wrong as a new wave of heat fell on my cheeks. "S-Sorry, I've said too much.." The corner of her mouth pulled into a grin, showing of that little dimple that I rarely got to see. The kindness in her eyes caught my attention and it made everything in the room disappear, only thing important enough the keep my focus was kneeling right in front of me. It felt like we stared at each other like that for an eternity until she finally broke the silence.

"What the hell have I been missing?" She said breathlessly as she kept her eyes locked with mine. I wasn't sure if she was being metaphorical or literal, I've always had a problem with that, so I replied in a way that could work for both.

"I don't know, but I hope I can help you find it." I said with a grin. She smirked at me and dropped the hand she was using to dab at my lip to rest on her thigh.

"I'd like that." We stared at each other again having this unspoken conversation until I saw a familiar blonde approach.

"Hey Britt, I found Quinn." Sam announced. "She's out in the car, she seems really shaken up so I'm gunna take her home. You can stay if you want to; I can come back and pick you up later." I almost forgot about Quinn's weirdness with all that happened with me and Brooke then Santana here tending to my busted lip, my mind was not focused on what was going on with Quinn.

"No, I'll go too." I said looking up at the other blonde. I have no idea what was going on with her, but it had to be serious if it made her run off like that. Sam nodded and turned to leave. I licked my lips and took in a deep breath not noticing that Santana was now standing aside from me.

"You okay? Need help outside?" She asked seeing at how I was rubbing the material of my jeans with my hands. I smiled reassuringly up at her and shook my head.

"Nope, I'm alright." I said with a shrug before smiling up at her sweetly. "But you could walk me out? I never liked leaving a club alone." I watched her shoulders bounce as she giggled then extended a hand out for me to take.

"Well, it's the least I could do." She shrugged with a smirk and hooked her arm with mine as we straggled a few feet behind Sam. Sam held the door open for us to walk through then walked the few feet to the car where Quinn was waiting. I looked out at him then looked down at the tanned arm that was still hooked with mine and smiled.

"Well, looks like our journey's come to an end." I sighed exaggeratedly and felt the Latina drop her arm from mine, already frowning at the loss of contact. I looked back up at her and though her hair was a little out of place from being involved in breaking up a fight, she never looked more beautiful. "Thanks for walking me out." She smiled at me and nodded before narrowing her eyes on me.

"You're really something else, Brittany Pierce." She said with a tight lipped grin and skeptical eyes. The way she was looking at me drew my body closer to her and somehow I ended up being about 2 inches away from her face. "I never gave you a proper thank you for everything you've done tonight." She said in a shaky voice. I swore she was staring at my lips but maybe it was because I was bleeding again, but I felt that queasy feeling in my stomach again and I felt like I was on fire. I swallowed thickly when her eyes flickered away from mine again. Yup, she was looking at my lips for sure that time! I slid my tongue out and ran it along my lip before leaning in a tad closer. Just an inch away now from her full lips, just one inch! With trembling fingers, she brought up her left hand and cupped my chin delicately as she turned my face to the side to plant a wet kiss on my cheek. I felt every nerve in my body explode as soon as her soft lips grazed past my skin. I didn't even care that it was just a kiss on the cheek; it still had the same effect if it were on the lips. Fireworks. "So thank you, Brittany." She whispered still cupping my chin then smirked at me and my pink cheeks then let her eyes fall to my lips. "Take care of that cut." She added as she moved the thumb she had resting on my jaw to brush pass my bottom lip before letting her hand drop to her side. She had me frozen again. My mind was telling me to pick her up and push her up against the wall kissing the crap out of her, but my body refused to move. How could one kiss on the cheek from this girl have me under such a spell? I heard Sam honk the horn breaking me from my trance.

"Looks like I have to go." I mumbled looking over at the car parked on the curb. She looked over at the car too and sighed.

"Wish you didn't though." I tried to keep my smile from growing any bigger than it had and nodded.

"Text me when you leave." I said as I began backing away from her. "Just wanna make sure you get home safe." She grinned that one lopsided smile as she watched me leave and nodded before I got in the car. I got in the backseat and looked out the window to see the Latina still standing where I had left her. I gave her one last wave goodbye as Sam pulled off. I sunk back into the seat thinking that maybe, just maybe, things were finally looking up for me.

* * *

A/N Do you love me now? ( ; Don't get too excited though, Britt and San are still not together..yet. But I'm sure you're all glad Britt beat the shit out of Brooke, right? I think we all can agree that she had it coming. Let me know.


	11. Chapter 11 Distractions

CHAPTER 11

_Later That Night;_

"Thanks for watching Bella again, Marley." I said as I handed the younger girl some money and walked her out.

"Of course, it's always cool to babysit Bella, she's an angel." She replied in a cheery voice as she reached for the door knob and turned to give me a heartfelt look. "I hope you find out what happened with Quinn, it's really strange seeing her all quiet like that." I nodded and gave the girl a last goodbye before closing the door. As soon as I opened the door, Quinn had made a bee line for her bedroom barely even nodding in the direction of Marley when the girl said hi. I apologized to Marley for Quinn's behavior and filled her in about what happened tonight. Like always, Marley was super understanding and just brushed it off. Now that the girl was gone I decided to check on Bella one last time before attempting to talk to Quinn.

I poked my head into Bella's room and saw the little blonde curled up under her blankets surrounded by all her stuffed animals and smiled. After making sure she was sound asleep, I made the long walk to Quinn's room. I hesitated at the closed door then brought up my hand to knock lightly.

"Quinn?" I said in a soft voice. "Quinn, can I come in?" The door didn't open, but I did hear a muffled noise. Not knowing if she said 'yes, I could come in' or 'no, I couldn't' I pushed the door open to get a clearer answer. "Sorry, I couldn't hear you.." I whispered into the darkness of her room. I could barely see, but the light from opening her door shone dimly on the blanket covered figure on the bed. I let out a sigh and walked quietly over to the bed, sitting down on it slowly then reached my hand out to rest on the form. I let my hand smooth over the material and found it was a round shape, not being able to see, I assumed it was her head. "I'm not sure what I'm touching, but I hope it's your head." I whispered, continuing to rub comfortingly.

"My head is up here, Britt.." The blonde' s voice came out in a whimper, from the opposite side of me. I whipped my head around and saw that her head was poking out from under the blankets. "That's my butt.." I felt myself blush as I dropped my hand quickly.

"Whoops." I giggled trying to cover my embarrassment. I heard her snicker but it went quiet again. I turned to face her completely and brought my legs up so that I was sitting in front of her. "Well, now that I've got your attention. Mind telling me what's going on?"

"It's complicated." She sighed and I instantly felt frustrated.

"Why does everyone keep telling me that?" I said angrily but then I felt bad for getting frustrated while Quinn's clearly upset. "Sorry. I'm just tired of hearing that as an explanation." I replied in a low voice. I looked up and saw she was lying on her side with her eyes lowered to the mattress. "Quinn, you know you can tell me anything right?"

"I know." She sighed then turned her head to look up at me. "I just, I don't know how to put it into words." I pressed my lips together and stared down at her.

"Just try." I suggested with a weak smile. I watched her close her eyes tightly then exhale.

"I'm-I'm so ashamed." She muttered with tears running over the bridge of her nose. I watched as her body shook from her sobbing, but I still didn't understand what this was all about. I shuffled closer to her and brought her head to rest in my lap as I brushed through her blonde hair trying to calm her crying. "I-It's about Bella."

"Okay." I said quietly, still combing through her hair with my fingers. "What about Bella?"

"I-I tried to protect her, I moved her here so she wouldn't ever have to see him again." She mumbled through her cries. "She doesn't need a father, Britt, she doesn't. All she needs is us; you, me, Sam, all our friends, we're all the family she needs."

"I know, you've told me this already." I replied still trying to connect the dots. "Her father isn't here, Q, well at least I don't think he i-"

"It's Puck!" She cried. "Puck is her father." She said and buried her face in her hands as another wave of sobs racked her body.

"Puck?" I asked confused. "I-I don't know a Puck.." I went through all the names of all the people I've ever met and none of them came close to a Puck.

"Noah." She breathed. "Noah _Puck_erman. It was an old nickname." My eyes went wide.

"My boss?" I asked shocked. "No, no that's not possible he's lived here.."

"He said he was coming here for college, but I didn't think we'd be this close." She said softly. "I didn't think he'd be this close to Bella." I was stunned; I had no idea what I could say to cheer my best friend up. I've never had to deal with a blast from a baby daddy past. "I didn't think I'd have to see him ever again." She sighed.

"I don't understand, how did you two even know each other?" I asked dumbfounded. "We were the top two cheerleaders in the whole school, it was our job to know everyone and I don't remember ever hearing a 'Puck'."

"He went to a different school." She answered. "But that's not important, what is is that he knows I kept Bella and that we're here." Her hands dropped from her face as she looked at me in fear. "What am I supposed to do, Brittany? What if he wants custody? I'm scared."

"What are you afraid of Quinn?" I asked. "From what I've seen, Noah is a very nice guy. I don't think he'd ever want to take Bella away from you." I replied with a shoulder shrug. "There's no use in hiding anymore. He knows you are here and you know he's here so why don't you guys just talk it out?" I watched as the fear left her eyes a little. "I have no idea what happened between you two or-"

"I refused to let him see Bella." She said. "He wanted to be there for her, but I refused." She sighed. "I pushed him away, Britt, and all he wanted to do was help." I sucked in my bottom lip and furrowed my brows. This was getting extremely deep and I was starting to get a headache now.

"You're going to have to talk to him, Quinn." I replied. "There are too many unresolved issues to just ignore until they disappear." She looked up at me with soft eyes. "You're not going to run away this time, Q." I said and watched her nod. "Alright, come here." I said with open arms. She sat up and fell into me, allowing me to wrap my arms around her. "I'm going to bed now, I think my brain is gunna explode from all this excitement and drama from tonight." She gave me a weak smile and I left to go to my own room. I closed the door behind me and quickly changed into some cotton shorts and a t-shirt before sinking into my bed.

"What the hell." I sighed to myself as I stared up at the ceiling. I've never felt so happy yet so overwhelmed at the same time, an also a little sore. I let my tongue run along my bottom lip feeling the tender area I knew was starting to bruise. "This is why I don't like violence." I thought and turned on my side letting smile creep on my lips. "It was worth it though." I thought back to having the Latina's lips on my skin, reminiscing in all of the wonderful feelings the kiss brought. "It was definitely worth it." Finally, it was my time to shine and with the way Santana ended things with Brooke, I doubt there's any hope for reconciliation. I'm totally fine with that, of course. I rolled on my back and stared up at the ceiling again. After lying there for another 20 minutes, swarmed with thoughts, I realized that I wasn't tired. I mean, I was sleepy but my mind was working a million miles a minute making it hard for me to relax. I checked the time; it's only been an hour and a half since we left Showtimes. I tightly shut my eyes again trying to fall asleep, but my eyelids just sprang open again. I huffed and rolled to my side staring at the clock on my night stand. Suddenly I saw my phone light up. I reached over and grabbed it, my heart stopping at who the message was from.

_Santana: Made it home safe. Sorry I took so long, tried finding out what was going on with Noah. Goodnight, Britt ( :_

Now I realized why I was having such a hard time falling asleep. I was still waiting for Santana's text, and now that I knew she was home safe I could finally rest. Not before sending her one last text could I shut my eyes though.

_Brittany: That's good to hear. Had a talk with Quinn too, crazy stuff. G'nite, San [ :_

I smiled to myself when I typed out her nickname, feeling all fuzzy that we were that far in our friendship that we've come to shortened names. I set my phone back on the nightstand and rolled on to my back, closing my eyes and falling into a deep sleep effortlessly.

_The Next Day;_

I stared down at the screen of my phone with my thumb hovering over the call button. I felt so nervous and excited at the same time. Okay, just do it. I pressed the button and brought the phone to my ear. Each ring caused my heart to race faster and faster until a certain raspy voice echoed through the ear piece.

"Hello?" Santana said. I opened my mouth to answer but nothing came out. "Brittany?" I tried to speak again, but nothing. "Bri-" I hung up and brought my clenched fist to my forehead. Come on Brittany, get it together woman! I exhaled deeply and redialed the Latina. It rang twice before I heard the girl's voice again. "Hello?"

"Hey, sorry.." I managed to say. "I forgot how to take my phone off mute." I heard her giggle on the other end of the line and it instantly made me feel less embarrassed. "How are you doing?"

"Uhm, I'm ok." She said softly, sadness evident in her voice. "I mean, I'll get there in time."

"Oh, okay." I said. Now's the time, Pierce. I fiddled with the hem of my shirt as I took in a deep breath. "So, are you busy today?" I asked lightly hoping that I wouldn't start stuttering or pass out from anxiousness.

"Not at all."

"Good." I answered with a wide grin on my face. "I wanna take you somewhere."

"Oh? Like where?" She asked and I could hear the happiness in her voice.

"It's a secret." I said, patting myself on the back for being so smooth. "Can you come by my house in like an hour?" I asked. "I'd offer to go to yours but I'm not very good at following directions." I heard her laugh and it made me smile. "I think I've gotten lost every time I've tried going to a new place by myself."

"That's fine, Britt." She laughed. "I'll be there. How should I dress?"

"Uhh, in whatever you want. I wouldn't wear heels though, you might sink." I answered. "I've totally done that before, it wasn't fun." She laughed again.

"Alright, no heels. Got it!" She said through a breathy giggle. "See you soon."

_An Hour and a Half Later;_

"So you gunna tell me what's in the bag?" Santana asked with a smirk as she tried to sneak a peek inside the bag I had over my shoulder. I narrowed my eyes at her and grabbed for my bag trying to hide it from her sight.

"Nope, you'll see." I said still clutching the bag until she pouted and went back to looking ahead of her. "Don't worry, we're almost there." She looked over at me and smiled. When we neared the end of the sidewalk and had to cross of to walking in the grass I saw Santana giggle. "What?" I asked confused.

"I see why you didn't want me to wear heels now." She replied and looked down at the grass. "We're about to walk into Narnia!" She laughed as she kept her eyes on her feet.

"Told you, you would've sunk." I answered as we got closer to this one bench that over looked a small lake. "Alright, we made it." I said and dropped my bag onto the bench and took out a half a loaf of bread.

"Are we making sandwiches or something?" She asked with her eyebrow quirked and her face all scrunched up in the most adorable way.

"Hmm, sounds like something I'd say." I laughed and handed her a few pieces of bread. "But no, we're feeding the ducks!" I said cheerfully and pulled her to the water's edge toting the rest of the bread in my other hand. "It always calms my nerves and I like coming here to think when I've got a lot on my mind." I watched as she looked at the bread, flipping it over and over in her hands. I tore off a piece of my own bread and tossed it into the water where a couple ducks were huddled. I looked back over at the girl fumbling with the bread. "Just to be clear, that bread is for the ducks. I mean, if you're hungry I can make you a sandwich but I don't have anything else in my bag but gummy worms." She rolled her head back laughing at my serious tone then gave me a warm smile.

"You're funny." She smiled then tore up her bread and threw it in the water. More ducks came and soon the couple of ducks there were accompanied by 4 or 5 more. We alternated tossing pieces in the water, watching as the little duckies waddled to and fro chasing after the bread. I snuck glances at the Latina noticing how the creases formed near her eyes when she smiled too hard and how she sucked her lips in when she was concentrating on tearing her bread. "This is fun." She said with her eyes focused on the ducks. "Brooke's never taken me to do stuff like this." I heard the pain in her voice and looked up to see her biting her lip.

"Well that's good because feeding the ducks is my thing." I said with a smile and bumped her lightly with my elbow. She turned and smirked at me with warm eyes before looking down at the ducks again.

"Is it weird that I'm not totally devastated?" She asked with her eyes still lowered. I looked down at her hoping that she'd look up at me. She did, but with stormy eyes. "I mean, when I got home last night I cried." She shrugged shaking her head. "I cried a lot actually.." We were both out of bread and now were just standing there looking down at the water.

"You want to sit down?" I asked quietly and she nodded. We made the short walk back to the bench and sat down with a medium sized gap between us.

"I just, I just can't believe I stayed with her for so long." She sighed looking down at her hands clenched together. " I guess that's why I'm not totally devastated. The relationship had run its course and was verging on unhealthy, but I just-I couldn't let her go." She huffed with a defeated sounding voice.

"Well, I'm glad you did though." I said quietly. She turned to me and nodded with a weak smile. "It must've been really hard for you to tell what you said last night." I added. "Kurt told me how you guys always go on breaks and stuff.."

"Of course, Kurt would open his prancy smurf mouth.." She laughed with an eye roll then her tone went back to serious. "But he's right. I never could build up enough courage to leave her for good. She's been the only one who could put up with my..my personality." She shrugged. "It's embarrassing, but I hate the thought of growing old and being alone..like some old cat lady, and I don't even like cats that much!" She stared out over the lake looking like she was in deep thought. I looked down at her hands and how tight she was wringing them out.

"I can assure you, you won't be alone." I said with a smile.

"Oh, how could you be so sure?" She laughed, breaking her trance out on the lake and looking over at me. "You haven't seen me at my _best_." She said sarcastically with a frown. I furrowed my brows and looked at her confused.

"I don't get it?" I huffed. She looked me with sympathetic eyes.

"Sorry." She sighed. "I'm kind of known for being a sort of bitch with a bad attitude." The way she said it was like she had rehearsed it, like that's how she introduced herself. But I've never seen this side of her, not directed towards me anyway.

"But you're not." I said sternly. "I already told you, you're super sweet and really caring." She smiled at the ground and shook her head. "What?"

"You're probably the only person to ever say that about me." She shrugged. "I'm not used to hearing such good things being said about myself, unless people were joking or lying."

"Well, that's another good thing about me," I said nudging her with my shoulder and smiling brightly at her. "I'm not a very good liar." We shared another long conversation through our eyes before I broke away fearing that I might just kiss her, and I didn't want to do that so soon. "You wanna get some lunch?" I asked with hopeful eyes and a playful smirk. "I saw the way you were looking at those ducks, you should be ashamed!" Her shoulders bounced with each giggle as she rolled her eyes at me.

"Are you always this silly?" She asked as we walked back up to the sidewalk. I smiled over at her.

"Always."

_Later That Night;_

"I can't believe I spent pretty much the whole day with you!" Santana smiled as we left the pool hall Sam took Quinn to. "Time really flies when you're getting your ass beat." I laughed hard, we played 3 games and each time I came out victorious.

"It's all in the technique." I said confidently. "Maybe if you're worthy I'll teach you it." It was her turn to laugh.

"Yeah, maybe." She said as we both pushed the doors open and found ourselves on the city streets. "I really hate it getting dark so early, makes me wanna go to sleep."

"Do you want me to walk you home?" I asked but she nodded. I narrowed my eyes at her seeing that she was holding herself as if she was cold. "You know, you should really wear a jacket. I mean, it is winter you know." She rolled her eyes playfully then dropped her arms to her sides. "And don't tell me you don't have any jackets, because I know for a fact you possess a certain pink zip up hoodie.."

"Oh! I've been trying to return that to you, but I keep forgetting!" She huffed in frustration.

"That's okay, you can keep it." I replied with a laugh. "It's too small for me anyway." She cocked her head to the side and smiled up at me.

"Good, because it smells too good to give back." She replied crossing her arms over her chest with a smirk.

"Huh, it does?" I asked with my forehead wrinkled. "Must be the laundry soap Quinn uses." I shrugged but she just looked down at the ground smiling. "What? It's not?"

"Well, if Quinn uses vanilla smelling laundry soap then maybe it is." She shrugged. I felt my cheeks heat up; the lotion I wear is vanilla scented. I swallowed hard and bit my lip as the thoughts of Santana possible sleeping in my hoodie at night flooded my brain. I willed myself to focus before I started smiling like some crazy person.

"How about I at least walk you half way?" I asked with a pout, she huffed then nodded. Thankfully her apartment was in the direction of my apartment so I wouldn't have to walk back and forth. I mean, I could take a cab but I liked walking, relieves the stress.

"Don't think I don't know what you were up to." She said with a smirk. I froze not knowing what she could be talking about.

"Uhm, what?"

"You kept me busy today." She shrugged and I instantly felt myself relax. "I usually take me and Brooke's break ups really bad, which are probably why we end up getting back together now that I think of it, but not with you here to keep me busy." Not lying, that was somewhat my intention but I focused more on keeping her happy.

"I just didn't want you to be sulking in your room all day; I know how break ups can affect people." I replied. "But it's easy to stay busy during the day, it's night time when you're about to go to sleep when things really get difficult."

"Sounds like you're talking from experience." She said softly. I smiled over at her.

"You know, if you want to, you could always sleep over." Her eyes popped open as her lips parted probably to inhale quickly. "Wait, no, not like that. I mean, I know how hard it is that first few nights after a break up, being alone." I said and watched as her body relaxed. "If you don't want to be alone, you could always come over. Quinn and Bella wouldn't mind."

"That's really sweet of you, Britt, but I should probably get readjusted to being alone." She replied. "At least for tonight." I nodded as she stopped walking and turned to face me. "This would be the halfway mark." She said. I looked around not even noticing that she had ended up walking me right to the stoop of my apartment building.

"Hey, I don't think this is half way." I said looking up at my building. "Looks like you cheated."

"Oh no, I never cheat." She smiled. "How would you know where halfway is? You don't even know where I live." She had me there so I just squinted at her and smiled. "Well, thank you for keeping me occupied today. You're a very good distraction." I smiled down bashfully and took a step closer to her so that our toes were almost touching.

"I'm very good at a lot of things." I replied low and husky sounding. I watched as her eyes turned dark and her cheeks grow red. "One of those things being hugs." I said in a cheery, more innocent sounding voice, and wrapped my arms around her waist. This time I knew what I was doing, my body didn't move on its own, I initiated this hug. Being so close to her yet so far all day was really wearing down on me and I needed some type of physical interaction to keep me going. She didn't need to know that though. Her arms found their way around my neck as she pulled herself closer to me, deepening the hug then pulled away.

"You are definitely right about that." She mumbled with a smile as she turned to walk home. "I'll see you around, Brittany." I watched until she was just a small figure amongst the crowd and headed upstairs.

"Britty!" Bella yelled when I opened the door. "Come here!" She said pulling on my fingers as she pulled me to her room. I passed Quinn standing in the kitchen and threw her wave and looked down at the little girl pulling me with a confused look.

"Just go with it, Britt." She laughed and turned back to the stove.

"Okay, look!" She said excitedly as she pulled out a stuffed Pink Panther and hugged it tight. "Look what mommy got me today!" I kneeled down and admired the girl's new toy.

"Woah Peanut, I'm so jelly right now." I said poking at her tummy. "You are one lucky kiddo." She hopped around with her Pink Panther swinging in her arms. "Guess what I did tonight." I said with a big smile as the girl stopped swinging and inched closer to me with big eyes.

"What?"

"You have to guess, silly." I answered with another poke at her belly. "That wasn't a guess." She giggled then went into deep thought.

"Did you go ice skating?" She asked with a serious tone. I shook my head. "Oh good, don't go without me. Kay?" I nodded. She thought long and hard again, but gave up. "I don't know Britty, that's hard."

"I hugged your best friend." I said with a bright smile.

"You hugged the real Pink Panther?!" She yelled with excitement and tackled me almost knocking me over.

"No, no not that best friend..the other one." I laughed. "You told her all my weaknesses.."

"Ohhhh!" Bella giggled and sat up in my lap. "Yay! You can be girlfriends now!" She cheered and it made me smile how easy she thinks things could be.

"Not quite yet, Peanut, but I'm getting there." She nodded and went to hug on her new toy again. "Come on, let's go see what mommy's cooking.

After sitting with Quinn and Bella eating fresh baked cookies and watching Finding Nemo for the tenth time this week, I was finally curled up in bed. Santana had texted me a few times throughout the night but they stopped around midnight so I thought she must've fallen asleep. Knowing that she was home, safe, and probably asleep, I let myself doze off as well. I wasn't really in that deep of a sleep yet, but I had been out for about 30 minutes before I felt my phone vibrating under my pillow. With sleepy eyes I looked at who could be calling so late at night, Santana.

"Hello?" I answered groggily. "Everything okay?" I heard sniffling in the background so I knew she had to be either sick or crying. I'm going with crying because there was no way she could've gotten sick in the last 5 hours since I saw her last.

"You're right, Britt, it sucks being alone." She muttered. "Too much time to think about the bad.." Her voice was raspier than usual, a sign that she must've been crying for awhile now. "I'm sorry for calling so late, you sound like you were sleeping."

"I was, but I wasn't really out out yet." I answered reassuringly. "Besides, I told you you could call me whenever. I don't mind." There was a long pause and I could tell that her sniffling had stopped. "You still there?" I asked with my eyes closed still, my sleepiness starting to creep back up on me.

"Yeah, I was just thinking." She sighed. "Hey Britt?"

"Mhm?"

"Do you think you could maybe stay on the phone with me?" She asked shyly. "Until I fall asleep?" She added. "Talking to you really calms me down.." Even half asleep and on the verge of sleep talking, I couldn't control how happy I was to hear her ask that of me. My voice comforts her, that has to mean something! And maybe, just maybe, she's lying in her own bed wrapped in my pink zip up hoodie with her nose buried in its material inhaling my scent. Hey, it could happen! This, this had to be some sort of sign!

"Anything for you."

* * *

A/N Just want to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, followed, PM'd me, or told a friend about this story! You my dears, are the best. Keep spreading that love & keep me updated with what yall are thinking! ( :


	12. Chapter 12 Double Surprise

A/N Sorry for such a short chapter, next will be longer with more Brittanella fluff! haha, like that? Brittany + Santana + Bella = Brittanella!

* * *

CHAPTER 12

_The Next Morning;_

I woke up to the bright morning sun shining through my baby blue curtains, burning against my sleepy eyes. "I really should get a darker color." I thought to myself and flung the covers over my head. I nuzzled into my pillow attempting to fall back asleep when I heard a low humming noise. I titled my head a bit trying to find where the sound was coming from, it seemed to be loudest when I had my head down on the pillow. With furrowed brows and tired eyes, I dug my hand under the coolness of the pillow and retrieved my phone. I brought it to my ear and listened. Low steady exhales, almost snoring, but not that obnoxious snoring where it's like you want to cover your head with a pillow, more like cute snoring, the kind I wouldn't mind waking up to every morning. I smiled at the phone picturing what Santana might look like when she's asleep, most likely even more beautiful than when she's awake. There would be no need for her to clench her jaw tight or furrow her brows, just pure relaxation. I wonder if she sleeps on her side, or maybe on her stomach? I wonder if she curls up in a ball like I do, or if she's all over the place? Does she sleep with socks on or no? So many questions. I rolled on my side and kept the phone on my ear, hearing her soft breaths made me feel like she was right next to me.

"Hmm..Brmm." My eyes shot open when I heard her mumble.

"San?" I said softly not sure if she was awake or just sleep talking. No response, just more humming. I smiled at the phone; so she mumbles in her sleep. Realizing I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, I listened for a few more minutes then finally hung up. I sat up in bed with a wide grin thinking of the last time I had fallen asleep on the phone with someone, never.

Since I was in such a great mood now, actually I'm always in a good mood; I decided to make breakfast for Quinn and Bella. I tip toed my way to the kitchen hoping that no one was awake yet. Not going to lie, I'm not a very good cook. Recipes always confused me, but I've watched Quinn make breakfast loads of times so I'm pretty sure I could do this. I got out the eggs, bacon, pancake mix, and butter. I stared down at all the ingredients trying to remember what Quinn always made first, bacon. I took out a frying pan and set it on the burner. I wasn't sure what temperature she usually kept it on so I played it safe and went with medium. I waited for the pan to heat up, remembering that Quinn always checked the temperature by holding her hand over it. I laid down a few strips when I thought it was hot enough and heard that anticipated sizzling sound.

"Yay, nothing's on fire!" I cheered to myself and reached for the pancake mix box. "Alright, now this is the hard part." I thought and stared at the instructions trying to decipher what they were asking me to do. Thankfully, it was just an add water type of mix. I ended up making the batter pretty easily; it wasn't too lumpy or too liquidy. Quinn would be so proud right now! I heated up another pan for the pancakes while I checked on the bacon. Everything seemed to be okay still so I was pretty confident I'd be making a successful breakfast. I poured out some pancake batter on to the pan and watched as it bubbled up. Trying to make sure the bacon didn't burn and the pancakes were cooking evenly ended up being a really hard thing to do. I was never good at multitasking. I flipped over a pancake and saw black. "Damnit." I huffed and threw out the pancake along with now burnt bacon strips.

"I smell someone trying to cook breakfast again.." I heard Quinn call from behind me then pats of little feet follow.

"It's stinky, mommy!" I heard Bella giggle. I felt my shoulders drop as I turned around to see Quinn ad Bella smiling at my mess.

"I was so close, Q, so close!" I groaned and pouted. "I mess up at the same point every time." I stared down at my toes in embarrassment. "I even burnt your precious bacon." I heard Quinn snicker then bend down to Bella.

"I think Britt needs a hug, Bells." She whispered. I looked up to see Bella race over to me with her arms held out then Quinn walk pass me to survey the damage. "It was a good effort, Britt, but I'll take it from here." She smiled and patted me on the shoulder.

Within 15 minutes, the three of us were all seated at the kitchen table with plates filled with crisped-not burnt- bacon, fluffy golden brown pancakes, and perfectly cooked scrambled eggs.

"Geez, you're such a good cook Quinn." I sighed with a mouthful of pancakes. "I'm jealous." I watched Quinn laugh as she cut up Bella's pancakes for her.

"I'm pretty sure it's just a mom thing, Britt." She replied. "You'll get there when you have your own kids."

"Yeah, I guess so." I grumbled and took another bite of bacon.

"Oh, Sam's coming by later on to pick up me and Bella." She said with a sweet smile. "I think he's taking us to the aquarium or something."

"The fishes, mommy, we're going to find Nemo!" Bella squeaked as she wiggled in her chair with excitement.

"We already found Nemo, 10 times this week I might add." Quinn laughed as she watched her daughter wiggle.

"Maybe you'll find his cousins or his long lost brother instead!" I said cheerfully and poked the little girl in the cheek where she was stuffing all her food. "You look like a chipmunk." I laughed and as soon as the name fell from my lips I thought back to Santana. I wonder if she's awake now, or if she remembers being on the phone with me last night. I hope so.

"Earth to Britt." Quinn waved a hand in my face getting my attention. "So did you want to come with us?" She asked. Seeing that I still want Quinn and Sam to get together, I declined.

"Nah, I have to show the girls the new routine today." I replied with a shrug of my shoulders. "Plus, I wouldn't want to _interfere_." I winked and watched as Quinn rolled her eyes.

"Nothing's going to happen with that, so stop trying." She laughed but I knew her reply was more of her trying to convince herself that they weren't perfect for each other.

"Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that Q." I teased then got up to clean the dishes. A couple hours later, Sam was here to pick up Bella and Quinn so I decided I mine as well head out to Showtimes too. I wiggled into some red sweat pants and threw on a loose fitting off the shoulder shirt and made my way downstairs. I kept thinking about what Santana was doing or if she was awake yet and if she was why hadn't she texted me yet. I couldn't take the waiting so I pulled out my phone and typed out a quick text.

_Brittany: Morning Sunshine! Didn't know you talked in your sleep, that's funny. I'm going into work now, but have a good day! [ : _

I was just about to stick my phone back into my pocket it when I heard it chime. So she is awake, I thought then looked down at my phone.

_Santana: More like Afternoon Sunshine, it's already 1:30!lol & I soo do not sleep talk.._

I smiled down at the message and typed out a reply.

_Brittany: Well, I was going to text you earlier but I didn't want to wake you up. & You do! It was cute though._

I was nearing the entrance of the building so I slipped my phone back into my pocket so I could pull the door open. I walked through and said hello to everyone I saw as I made my way into the studio where Kurt was fixing his hair in the mirror.

"Your hair looks fine." I teased when I came into his view. He rolled his eyes playfully then turned to smile.

"So, what happened Thursday?" He asked not wasting any time getting straight to the point. "Noah's been acting weird, you're super happy, and Rachel may have told me about what song Santana sang." He said in one breath. "So details, Britt, details." I crossed my arms over my chest wondering what I should tell him. Quinn's personal business was off limits, so I wouldn't tell Kurt why Noah was acting weird. It should be enough to hear that Santana and Brooke were finally over.

"Fine." I huffed and pulled out my phone to see a new message. "I won't tell you what's going on with Noah but I'll fill you in on what happened with Santana." He clapped and bounced on his toes with anticipation. I laughed then looked down at the message on my screen.

_Santana: Oh, how sweet of you but I woke up right after you hung up. & I would say thanks for the compliment, but I don't sleep talk so ( ; _

"Ooh, who you texting there?" Kurt asked trying to peek at the screen. "Gotta be someone special by the size of that smile." He said pointing up at my mouth.

"None ya!" I laughed and turned away so he wouldn't see my phone. "Go back to fixing your hair."

"But you said you were going to tell me the juicy news.." He huffed with his arms crossed.

"Oh, right..hold on." I brought my phone up and typed out a reply before stuffing it back in my pocket.

_Brittany: I'm recording you next time! But I'll talk to you later, coworkers are bugging me lol. Bye!_

I hit send and started telling Kurt about what happened with me and Brooke at The Coffee Shop. He was filled with so much excitement hearing that I'd found someone who was attractive and interested in me, but just before revealing to him that the girl was actually Brooke, I looked down to see a new message from Santana.

_Santana: Who says there'll be a next time? & Do I have to come there and insult someone?_

_Brittany: Well, if you ever want to get a good night's sleep, then there'll be a next time. [ ; & Nooo! Quit distracting meee_

"Britt.." Kurt whined. "I'm still here waiting who this girl is!" I gave him an apologetic smile and put my phone away.

"Sorry, but it was Brooke." I shrugged and watched his eyes almost pop out of his head.

"Holy shit!"

"Yeah, I know right." I laughed then went on to tell him about the rest of the night and even about Santana calling me because she couldn't sleep.

"This is outstanding!" Kurt cheered clapping. "Just give it a little more time and Santana will finally see what a good relationship is all about. Things are definitely looking up for you my dear." I nodded along with him. It was definitely a good feeling to actually stand a chance now that Brooke was out of the picture, but I knew I couldn't rush things. I may have had feelings for Santana for a while now, but she had been in love with Brooke and I knew that feelings like that couldn't just disappear after a few weeks. I'd have to show her that there are better people out there, people that could make her happy all the time rather than cry. I wanted a relationship with Santana more than anything in the world, but I didn't want it if she still hurt from Brooke.

"Yeah, I want to start off as a solid friendship first before taking this any further though." I replied. "I don't want to be a rebound." Kurt nodded sympathetically.

"Yeah, that's a good way to go." He sighed then looked back at his hair in the mirror. "I know you can't tell me what happened with Noah, but it's really killing me! Can I at least guess?"

"Go ahead." I laughed.

"He was also sleeping with Brooke?"

"What the? No!"

"It wouldn't surprise me, she's bi." He laughed and went back to thinking. "Did someone show pictures of his old Mohawk?"

"He had a Mohawk?!"

"Guess not." He smirked. "Sugar quit? I heard they were seeing each other."

"Really? I never would've guessed, but no." I laughed. He went on to give more crazy ideas when I heard heels clicking from out in the hall and deep voice echoing against the walls.

"Noah's gay isn't he?" Kurt said with a confident voice. "right?!"

"Uh hell no." Noah's deep voice rang out from behind us. "I'm flattered if you got a crush on me or something, Kurt, who wouldn't? I'm a stud, but I like the ladies." I tried hiding my smirk in my lap when I felt cool fingers on my exposed shoulder.

"Wonder what you two were talking about." Santana smirked eyeing me and Kurt.

"Uhmmm.." I looked over at Kurt seeing if he would start talking. He didn't. "Uh, Kurt was telling me about this new book he was reading." I shrugged. "One of the character's names is Noah."

"Oh really?" Santana said with her eyebrow quirked as she looked over at Noah and turned back to me with a smirk on her lips. "And what was this book called?"

"Yeah, Kurt what was the book called again?" I said looking to Kurt so the attention wasn't all on me.

"Uh, Coffee Breaks!" Kurt squeaked. "The book is called Coffee Breaks." Noah and Santana turned to look at each other again then laughed.

"Thank God you're such a bad liar; we would've had some issues there." Santana said throwing a wink in my direction making my cheeks turn red then turned to Kurt. "And you are just as bad." She laughed. "I know you don't read unless it's a fashion magazine or if it's got naked men all over it." It was Kurt's turn to flush under Santana's gaze.

"Alright Satan, give Snix a break." Noah laughed and patted his hand on Santana's back. "I was just showing her around, you mind if we sit in on practice today?" He asked turning to face my direction.

"Uhh, y-yeah sure!" I choked out. "Uh, Kurt go get the girls ready." Kurt nodded and hurried off leave me with Noah and Santana.

"I'm gunna grab my phone, left it in my office." Noah said and walked off. Now it was just me and Santana.

"You never texted me back." She said with a sweet smile.

"I told you you were distracting me." I replied.

"I thought you were working at the other place today and was going to surprise you." She shrugged. "But you didn't reply so I just came here." I smiled at the thought of her trying to surprise me, usually I'm the one doing the surprising. "You know, check on Noah and what not.."

"Looks like your plan ended up working out." I said with a wide grin. "I wasn't expecting you coming in here." I shrugged then let out a nervous sigh. "Now you're going to be watching me dance too, double surprise." We stared at each other again just smiling and getting lost in each other's eyes.

"Gotta love double surprises, right?"


	13. Chapter 13 Insecurity

CHAPTER 13

"Kurt, I need your help!" I squealed when I entered the dressing room. He spun around from zipping up one of the girl's tops and gave me a wide eyed look. "Santana's gunna watch us practice.."

"Okay?" He said with his brow raised. "I'm sorry Britt, but my single ladies days are over. I just now got to the point where only half the people in the room stare at me when that damn song comes on."

"What? No, I don't want you to dance with me-"

"Oh thank God."

"I need you to help me figure out a song to dance to." I pleaded. "The routine I was going to show the girls today is for one of Rachel's slow songs."

"Oh, yeah. Not very sexy at all." He shrugged. "Hm, let me think for a couple minutes. But first let's get you out of those sweat pants."

"Kurt!" I said shocked. "I thought you were gay.." I stared at him with big eyes until he started laughing.

"Oh do I love how your mind works, Britt." He teased and pushed me towards a clothes rack, pulling out articles of clothing and holding it up to me before repeating the process several more times. "Alright, this is the one!" He squealed holding out a pair of black shorts covered in glitter in one hand and a hot pink lacy bustier bra in the other.

"Uhh, I wanted to show her I can dance well." I said eyeing the super revealing clothes. "Not cause a sex riot." Kurt laughed and pulled out a short cropped black leather jacket and handed me all the clothes.

"You've got a bangin' bod, missy, flaunt it." He winked and nodded over to the changing rooms. I rolled my eyes playfully and walked off in the direction of the rooms. On my way there, I spotted some pink and white knee high socks. I'm a sucker for knee high socks so I threw those on top of the pile in my hands and went to get changed.

"Oh wow!" Kurt squealed when I emerged from the dressing room in my new outfit. "You just had to add the knee highs, didn't you?"

"Hey, at least they match!" I joked and looked out at all the girls in their outfits. Kurt managed to dress them in similar, less revealing, attire. "Nice touch having us all match. Like the way you think!" Kurt looked over his shoulder at the other dancers and nodded.

"Oh, and I have a song!" He cheered pulling out his phone. "Just take a listen and I'm sure you'll come up with something soon, practice starts in 10." I gulped at how rushed this was going to be but I knew I could do it, it was pretty much freestyle. Plus, the other dancers didn't know I had just come up with the routine.

"Alright, let's have a listen."

_10 Minutes Later;_

"Quit fidgeting." Kurt whispered sending an elbow in my arm. "You're going to kill it!" I nodded confidently and walked out of the dressing room to see Santana sitting on one of the counters with Noah standing beside her. I sent her a nervous smile then turned to face the dancers.

"Okay guys, we're doing something a little different this time but I'm pretty sure you're going to like it." I said as I scanned everyone's face. "Kurt, hit it!"

At first it was just an instrumental intro so I took the time to get loosened up and try to shake some of the nerves off. You know, try to forget that Santana would be having her eyes on me the whole time. I couldn't think about that right now, I just needed to listen and get lost in the music. The intro was drawing to an end so I did a couple more bounces on my toes and sucked in a calming breathe. Here we go.

_Lay your head on my pillow  
Lay your head on my pillow  
Lay it down  
Lay it down  
Lay it down  
Oh lay it down  
Lay your head on my pillow  
yeah_

I closed my eyes and let my body roll to the beats smoothly, rocking my hips to the rhythm in a slow sensual way. The more I let myself get lost in the music, the less nervous I was. When the beat picked up I took a few quick steps backwards then stopped grinding my hips again then lowering myself in a crouched position before rolling back up. I let my arms move fluidly through the air as I brought them up to rest behind my head like I was going to sleep them popped my chest out when the beat dropped for the second verse. __

You're looking at me girl and I ain't talking about the look in your eyes  
Me, my partna nem is giving a standing ovation girl tonight

The words of the song were fast so I moved accordingly. I tossed my hand to my brows and scoped the room for a certain Latina. My eyes fell on her as she watched me move. I nodded at her to the beat and whipped my hand away making a circular motion around my face before spinning around in a full circle. The music went slow again so I rolled my hips playfully at the girl and brought my arms up over my head as I looked down at my stomach then back up at Santana. I watched her bite down on her lower lip as her eyes turned dark. Feeling even more confident, I took a few steps in her direction just as the beat was turning fast again. I made my hips jerk side to side to the quick beats, lowering myself to the ground before rolling back up and standing straight.

_So go on and stretch it out 'cause I'm gon' work it good girl  
And don't be bourgie 'cause tonight I need a hood girl_

I extended one arm out in a circular rotation as I rolled my body along with it then repeated with the other arm rotating it in the opposite direction while rolling my body like I had the first time. I tried keeping my focus on the movements making sure I was nailing the routine I had just come up with only 10 minutes ago, but I couldn't help but sneak a peek at Santana. Her eyes seemed even darker than the last time I looked up at her. I rolled my body forward painfully slow but kept my eyes on her watching how she crossed her legs tightly and wedged her fingers under her thighs.

_And I'm gonna tell my friends I ain't coming out tonight  
I'ma put this jimmy on and rock that body right_

I shot my body upright and took a few steps back with my arms extended out shaking my hands like I was saying no to something. I turned my fanned out fingers into balls of fists and took a giant step forward bringing my fists down to my sides like I was doing a pull up and slowly thrusted my hips in the air, dragging my extended leg forward so that my feet were now side by side, all while keeping my eyes focused on Santana.

_Wrap your hair girl, tie it up tonight_

I made a circular motion around my head with one hand then brought it back down in front of me and moved my hands together like I was tying a knot while my legs jerked out from side to side on my heels. The chorus played again so I slowly rocked my hips to the beat doing silly spins here and there until Kurt faded out the music.

"Damn Britt, if I wasn't gay I might actually try something with you!" Kurt laughed and threw me a towel to wipe off some of the sweat. "What did you think Santana?" I stopped wiping my forehead and pressed the towel to my face. I couldn't believe how forward Kurt was about asking Santana's opinion; then again I did sort of change the whole routine just to impress her.

"I-It was uhm-uhh.." Santana stuttered. Great, she didn't like it, I thought to myself. I slowly dropped the towel from my face and stared down at the floor in embarrassment.

"That's Satan talk for it was incredibly hot and I am now sexual frustrated." Noah teased and bumped the girl next to him. I watched as Santana's cheeks flushed and she scowled at the guy next to her.

"Shut up, Puckerman!" She snapped then turned her gaze on me and instantly softened. "Yeah, it was really good Brittany." She smiled. "I'm like I think I might actually be pregnant right now just from watching that!" She laughed along with Noah and it instantly made me feel better.

"So you liked it?" I asked shyly and watched as she nodded. "Cool! Well, can I name the baby? I'm thinking something cool like Charlie." I said with a smile. "Only if it's a girl though, girl's with boy names are always cooler." She stared at me with a sweet smile and soft eyes.

"You can name our fake baby whatever you want, Britt-Britt." I grinned a toothy grin and looked to the floor bashfully. Me and Santana are having a fake baby, no biggie. I spun around to go tell Quinn when I remembered the other dancers still sitting on the floor waiting to be taught the new routine. Talking to Santana must've made me forget about all the people in the room or something. I quickly lined everyone up and proceeded to show them the steps all while Santana stayed sitting on the counter watching my every more.

_An Hour and a Half Later; _

"Wow Britt, I'm impressed!" Santana complimented as she came and sat with me on the floor while the other dancers got changed out of the outfits. "I had no idea you were such a good choreographer. You could really go places, you know?" I smiled down at my hands coyly. I've only heard Quinn tell me that before. Yeah, my parents were super supportive when I came out but when it came to careers, they didn't really approve of me dancing.

"You really think so?" I asked with hopeful eyes. She nodded confidently with a smirk.

"Oh hell yeah! You are amazing." She replied. They way she said that, how her voice was so sincere and how her eyes seemed to sparkle a little, really made my heart flutter. It took everything in me to not lean in a little closer so that our lips could finally meet, but still too soon.

"Thanks, not many people tell me that." I said with a shy smile.

"Well everyone else is crazy if they don't see how great you are." She said shrugging, her lips pulling into a half smirk.

"Oh hey, are you doing anything tomorrow?" I asked after a short silence. She shook her head 'no'. "Great! You wanna go Christmas shopping with me and Bella?"

"Man, I can't believe it's that time of the year already." She sighed then turned to give me a nod. "Sure, I'll go. I need to get some shopping done myself."

"Yay!" I cheered and stood up. I extended my hand out to pull her up too and she gladly took it. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow then." I said happily as I started gathering my things.

"Do you want me to pick you up?" She asked as she handed me my water bottle.

"Oh no, I'm not that tired." I shrugged still focusing on packing up my bag. "Besides, I don't think you could lift me..Quinn tried that before and I almost fell on her." I heard Santana snickering so I turned around confused. "What?"

"I was talking about tomorrow." She smiled. "Did you want me to pick you and Bella up tomorrow, I have a car." I pressed my lips together as embarrassment fell over me and my cheeks turned pink.

"Ohhhh.." I mumbled to the floor. "Y-yeah, sure! It would be hard carrying all those bags if we're walking anyways." I added once I felt the heat leave my cheeks and looked up at me with that one special smile plastered on her lips.

"Mmkay, well I'll see you then!" She said and turned to walk out of the room.

_The Next Day; _

"Are you ready, Bella?" I called over my shoulder as I slipped on my jacket. "San's already here!" I heard little feet patting against the floor and saw Bella emerge from the hallway with her light pink jacket on over her cream colored dress and little brown suede boots that came up to her knees. "Oh, I see mommy bought you a new dress!" I said and threw Quinn a smirk.

"And new boots!" Bella chirped and pointed out her foot and wiggled it around.

"And new boots." I copied and threw another smirk in Quinn's direction.

"Hey! My baby's gotta look good all the time!" Quinn replied walking over to kiss Bella on the top of her head. "You going to be good for Brittany and Santana today, right?"

"Uh-huh, we're seeing Santa today so I got to!" Bella answered seriously and nodded her head at her mom.

"Plus, Bella's never bad!" I added picking up Bella's car seat."Right, Peanut?" I narrowed my eyes on the little girl.

"Right!" She replied cheerfully and turned to hug her mom goodbye before grabbing onto my hand as we walked down stairs where Santana was waiting. Parked on the curb was a shiny black 1967 Ford Mustang with a white racing stripe down the middle of the hood. It was like slow motion when Santana stepped out of the car with her aviators on, the wind just so happen to rustle her dark brown locks in the breeze, as she turned to shut her door and walk from around the car. All of a sudden I felt extremely hot, like my body was on fire or something. She wasn't in her usual work clothes, that's for sure. She had on a black leather jacket over a deep blue dress with a red floral pattern and black boots that came up to her claves and black socks that came up to her knees. I looked down at my deep green and pink floral pants and my bambi sweater and suddenly felt a little childish.

"Hi Bella!" Santana greeted as she pushed her aviators to sit on her head and bent over to brush through the girl's hair. "I'm in love with your boots, can I borrow them?" I felt Bella wiggle with excitement as she tugged on my fingers, but I was too focused on _not _trying to look down the Latina's dress since I had a clear view of her chest. Thankfully Santana straightened up and smiled at me. "And hi to you too!" She greeted with a smirk then eyed my sweater. "Cute sweater, definitely says Brittany all over it." She complimented and took the car seat from my hand. "Now let's see how I can strap this sucker in here." She said to herself as she opened the passenger side door with Bella following along.

"You've got a nice car!" I complimented as I took a few steps forward. "Now I'm kinda interested in what you do for a living." She looked over her shoulder and smirked.

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you." She said and it instantly made me nervous. What if I've got a crush on a secret agent? Or maybe she's a spy? Wait, aren't those the same thing? I don't know, but now I'm a little worried. "Don't worry, I would never kill you." She teased and placed Bella in her car seat then strapped her in. I relaxed a little but still wondered what she could possibly do for a living that she didn't want to say. But then my eyes landed on her ass and I instantly looked away, I was never good at discreet leering. "You wanna double check her?" She asked stepping away from bending inside the car. "I haven't strapped in a kid in so long, wanna make sure I did it right." She shrugged. I took a step forward and dipped my head in to see Bella sitting quietly with a huge smile on her face.

"Yup, looks-" I turned around in time just to see her whip her head to the side looking away from me. "What is it?" I asked and stood up to look in the direction she was looking.

"Uh, nothing." She mumbled and walked around to the driver's side. "Shall we?" I nodded and hopped in the car with her. We were on the road for about 10 minutes when Bella broke the silence.

"Britty, can we listen to Christmas songs?" She asked sweetly.

"I don't know, Peanut, we're in Santana's car so you have to ask her." I replied and watched as Santana looked over at me with a smile.

"What does she want?" She asked loud enough so only I could hear. I shrugged and asked Bella to repeat her questions.

"Sanny, can we listen to Christmas songs?" She said again in her sweetest voice. "Pleeease?" I watched as Santana's cheeks bunched up in a grin and she reached for the buttons on the radio.

"Anything for you, Little One." She said and pressed a button so that we were listening to tunes of the holidays. A familiar sound caught my ears and I instantly perked up.

"Oh, I love this song!" I squeaked. "No one ever likes singing it with me though cause' I always take the guys part-"

"I like singing it with you!" Bella cut in and it made me and Santana laugh.

"Well lucky you, I only know the girl's part." Santana replied but kept her eyes on the road. Soul mates, we are soul mates! I giggled at the thoughts in my head but sang along with the radio as Bella tried her best to follow along.

_The neighbors might think - Baby, it's bad out there  
Say, what's in this drink? - No cabs to be had out there  
I wish I knew how - Your eyes are like starlight_

At first it was just me and Bella singing, which was always a treat because Bella would start making up her own lyrics. I did my little dances that I usually do when I hear this song in the car as I sang along with the radio.

"You two are hilarious." Santana laughed as we stopped at a red light. I smiled but kept my focus on singing the words, but this time I faced her. When I sang the second line I wiggled in my seat and leaned over to her a little but then sat back as Bella sang the next line and did my part with a pout. Santana laughed at how well Bella and I were acting the song out then focused back on the road when the light turned green.

_To break the spell - I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell  
I ought to say no, no, no, sir - Mind if I move in closer?  
At least I'm gonna say that I tried - What's the sense in hurting my pride?  
I really can't stay - Baby don't hold out  
Oh, but it's cold outside_

"I recall hearing _someone_ say they knew the girl part yet I don't see that certain _someone_ singing with me." I chimed as Bella kept singing her lines. Santana sent me a quick smirk then picked up on the next girl's line. Her voice was heavenly, and I almost stopped singing just so that I could listen to her. There was so much soul in her voice; it turned this simple Christmas song into something that seemed so much more than it was. She parked the car but kept the engine on so that we could finish the song. __

I simply must go - But, baby, it's cold outside.  
The answer is no - But, baby, it's cold outside.  
This welcome has been - How lucky that you dropped in.

She sang her parts to me mostly but took quick glances in Bella's direction almost like encouraging her to keep singing. Bella had stopped once Santana started singing the girl's part because, like me, she rather sit and listen to the girl's smooth voice.

_So nice and warm - Look out the window at that storm.  
My sister will be suspicious - Gosh, your lips look delicious.  
My brother will be there at the door - Waves upon a tropical storm.  
My maiden aunt's mind is vicious - Oh, your lips are delicious.  
Maybe just a cigarette more - Never such a blizzard before._

We sang the next parts to each other, my eyes falling on her lips as I subconsciously sang about them. She giggled and sang her next line with a smirk. I licked my lips when the next line came and sang as the song faded out and smiled at her.

"Wow Sanny, you sing so good!" Bella clapped. I watched as Santana smiled down at her hands bashfully, it was the cutest thing ever. A 4 year old made her blush.

"What about me, Bella?" I asked with a grin. "Was I good?"

"Mmm, not as good as Sanny." She replied with a shrug that made Santana laugh. I feigned a pout and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Well then!" I huffed and heard Bella and Santana laugh then felt cool fingers wrap around my forearm pulling them away from my chest.

"I thought you sounded nice." Santana said with a sweet smile then shut off the engine. She though I sounded nice! My body was tingling all over again at the compliment. "Ready to see Santa?" She asked Bella who wiggled in her seat with anticipation.

"Go Britty, go!" She huffed. "I wanna see Santa!" I laughed and pushed my door open and drew my seat forward so I could unstrap the girl.

"Alright alright, I'm going!" I said as I undid the clasps and lifted her out. She latched onto my hand then searched around her frantically.

"Where's Sanny?" She asked with sad eyes. Santana walked around the front of the car with her heeled boots clicking against the pavement.

"I'm right here." Santana answered with a wave of her hand. Bella relaxed and the three of us made our way into the mall.

"Hold my hand, Sanny." Bella said sweetly. I looked over at Santana who seemed taken aback by Bella's demand but walked around me to reach for Bella's other hand. "Yay, now no one can run away and we won't get lost!" Santana and I exchanged looks of confusion but then were replaced by smiles as the little girl tugged on our hands, pulling us to the Santa line.

"She's just too adorable." Santana whispered to me over the little girl's head. I looked down at Bella and smiled.

"That's what she wants you to think!" I teased as Bella looked up at me and smirked. "She'll make you believe you're best friends and then boom! She gives away all your secret tickle spots to the enemy." Bella poked her tongue out at me and I returned the gesture until the three of us were laughing.

"Oh, so I'm the enemy huh?" Santana asked narrowing her eyes on me. "What happened to being friends?" Her voice was sweet and innocent but the smirk on her face gave a different vibe.

"We're totally friends!" I replied with a smile. "As long as you don't use my weaknesses against me.." She did a sideways glance then nodded in agreement.

"So Bella, what are you asking Santa for Christmas?" Santana asked as she scooped up the girl in her arms and balanced her on her hip. Bella turned to me with a devilish grin.

"Bella.." I warned knowing well that she could use her cuteness to her advantage and tell Santana about my secret crush. "Don't do it.."

"Do what?" Santana asked eyeing us both. I stared down Bella while she kept grinning at me.

"Next!" One of the elves called. The devilish grin was quickly replaced by a toothy smile as Santana set the girl down and watched as she raced to crawl on to Santa's lap. We both stood there wondering what she could be asking Santa for since she kept looking at me or maybe she was looking at Santana? Either way, I sort of had an idea what she could be telling him. Like I said, if Bella wants two people to get together she would make it happen but I doubt she'd take it as far as asking Santa. Then again, Bella's quite sneaky. After a few pictures were taken and Bella received a gift bag, we were back on the mission for presents. Though Quinn's my best friend, it's a little tough picking out a present for her. I almost never know what to get her, but with my Christmas bonus Noah gave I'm sure I could find something really nice. After an hour or so of just wandering the mall I was starting to lose hope.

"You know what you wanna get mommy for Christmas?" I asked Bella who was hanging on to both Santana and mine's hand. The little girl shook her head with a pout. "Yeah, me neither." I sighed and looked over at Santana. She was obviously in some type of deep thought by the way she was mindlessly walking or rather being pulled by Bella. Her eyes were stormy again and her jaw was clenched tight. "Hey.." I whispered over Bella's head. "You okay?" I watched as she turned to give me a nod and a not very convincing smile. I pressed my lips together and turned back to walking. From the couple months of knowing her, I knew that if something was bothering her she'd bottle it up for awhile until finally spilling at the most random time. There was usually food involved when we've had our deepest conversations and they were almost always about Brooke. "I'm kinda hungry. What about you, Peanut? You hungry?" Bella nodded happily. "How about you?" I asked Santana with a smile. "You hungry?"

"Mm, yeah." She shrugged. "I could eat." We all turned and headed up to the food court. I was carrying Bella this time since the food court was packed with people and I didn't want little Bella to get squished. Bella ended up wanting to get Taco Bell so we stood in line for that. Santana ended up paying for lunch since I was 'too slow' when it came time to pull out the money since I had Bella balancing on my hip. That was the second time she's paid for me and Bella, the first being at the grocery store. Though she wore a smile when I tried scolding her for paying for us again, her eyes remained stormy. Once we got our food and found a table I began with the flood of questions or rather coaxing Santana to vent. I mean, all the elements of a deep conversation were there; food and me.

"So, you going to tell me what's wrong?" I asked as I took a bite of my burrito and eyed her with soft eyes. She parted her lips to speak but I cut her off already knowing what she was about to say. "And don't tell me nothing's wrong. I've been friends with you for long enough to tell that something's bothering you just by the look in your eyes and how you clench your jaw." She pressed her lips together and looked down at her food in defeat.

"Well, now I know what you're observant in." She added with a barely there grin. She looked over at Bella who was too busy eating to pay attention to what the grown up were discussing. "Brooke called me yesterday." She sighed and played with the wrapping over her taco. I waited patiently for her to continue knowing that if I speak she'd get side tracked. "She wanted to talk about what happened, you know try to work things out." I felt my heart hammering in my chest. Santana and Brooke talking anything out was never a good sign.

"You guys back together now?" I asked softly, just uttering the words made me cringe. There was no way that they could fix things; Santana said she was done with her. If they were back together I would just have to give up. There would be no way of showing this girl that the relationship with Brooke was destined to suck, forever!

"No." She mumbled with her eyes lowered. "Honestly, it took so much in me to not take her back." I wanted to throw up, what was so great about Brooke that she'd even consider that! "But for the first time ever, I told her no. 'No, I do not want to talk to you. No, I do not want to work things out.' It's still weird saying it out loud." She added, her eyes filling with sadness.

"I just, I just have to know.." I huffed, shaking my head at the table then looked up to stare her in the eyes. "What is it about Brooke that you just can't let go? I get that she's really pretty and she's a total charmer, but all the stories you've told me kinda cancel all that out." She gnawed on her lip and shrugged.

"I-I'm not, I –I don't know. It's dumb." She muttered shyly.

"I doubt it is."

"She wasn't always like how she is now." She said with a shrug. "She used to make me feel loved and cared for, but somewhere down the line we went wrong. She changed." She looked past me like she was in deep thought again. There was a long pause. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but I'm extremely insecure about how I look." She said quietly with her eyes lowered again. "Sh-She's the only person that could call me beautiful and I'd actually believe them and not think it was just some perv trying to get in my pants." She bit down on her lip again and sighed. It was shocking to me that she felt so insecure about her looks, she was smokin' hot! I couldn't name one imperfection about her! I would've never guessed she struggled with image, I mean she carried herself so confidently all the time. I was in utter disbelief, so baffled that I couldn't stop the words from falling from my lips.

"Well, I said once before and I'll say it again. I still think you're beautiful."

* * *

A/N Yay, longer chapter! Any ideas on what Santana's job is? I need suggestions. Also, much love to all those who drop me a review! Seeing what you guys think influences me to keep writing. & Thank you to those who have recommended the story to someone, means a lot ( :


	14. Chapter 14 Confidence

CHAPTER 14

_One Week Later;_

The days seemed to mash together as the week went by. As Christmas was drawing near, Quinn and I began planning out our annual Christmas party. Working two jobs, helping plan a Christmas party, and keeping from yanking my hair out started to really stress me out. Thankfully, I wasn't scheduled for practice tonight at Showtimes and my shift here at The Coffee Shop was coming to an end. I felt like I needed some fun in my life so Quinn and I conspired to take Bella out ice skating since she's been begging to go since like August. I thought about inviting Santana, but ever since she went shopping with me and Bella she's been sort of distant. I thought that maybe it was something I said, but she assured me it wasn't. Not wanting to pry, I let it go. Knowing Santana, she'd come around to tell me what was bothering her eventually.

"Hey Britt, you can go if you want." Christy said from the register. "That new guy Jacob is on his way in now and the shop's dead." She shrugged with a grin. I looked around at the empty tables and decided that she could take it from here.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then." I replied and began taking off my apron and replacing it with my jacket. The air today was colder than usual; I was relieved that I remembered to bring a scarf with me to hide my cheeks. The weather was definitely hinting at some snowfall, but living in New York for almost 5 years has gotten me pretty adjusted. I wouldn't be surprised if I woke up tomorrow and the streets were covered with snow and people were still walking their way to work and carrying on their normal day. After a 10 minute walk, I was making my way upstairs to greet Bella.

"Britty! Help, mommy's dying!" My eyes widened at Bella's frantic wailing and I quickly ran to Quinn's room. Quinn can't die! I can't take care of Bella alone! Plus, who will cook food for us? It would be fast food and cereal for the rest of our lives! "Britty, I'm so sad.." There were tears in Bella's eyes as she pointed over to Quinn's bed where the older blonde was curled up. I bent down and wiped Bella's cheeks and pressed a kiss in her hair before walking over to Quinn.

"Quinn?" I said softly and poked at her figure. "A-Are you alive?" There was a long pause that made me extremely nervous. Then I heard a groan. I instantly felt relieved, so Quinn's not dead.

"Barely." She mumbled then rolled over to face me. "I feel like shit."

"Mommy!" Bella said in a chastising voice.

"Sorry, baby." She mumbled. "I think I've got a migraine or the flue or maybe-"

"Mono?"

"No, Britt.." Quinn said with an extremely weak smile. "Not mono." She rolled her head back into the pillows and closed her eyes. "I can't go with you guys ice skating, just take Bella. I'm just going to sleep it off." I looked down to see Bella peeking over Quinn's bed but not really able to see Quinn's face, she still was pouting.

"She'll be okay, Bella." I cooed scooping up the little blonde and gave her a hug. "We'll get mommy some medicine and let her sleep then she'll be all better." Bella nodded with red eyes then buried her face in my neck. I rubbed at her back gently while rocking her from side to side. "I'll go get you some medicine and water. Have you eaten?" I asked Quinn who shook her head slightly at the question. "Okay, I'll bring you a sandwich too then." I carried Bella out to the living room and sat her down to watch some cartoons while I fixed Quinn's food.

"Britty, are we still goin skatin?" Bella asked peeking over the back of the couch at me. I loved hanging out with Bella and I knew how much she's wanted to go, but I didn't want to go by myself. I looked over at Bella's well practiced pout and puppy dog eyes, gee wonder who she picked that up from, and couldn't help but smile at her.

"Of course, Peanut." I replied as I picked up Quinn's sandwich and grabbed a glass of water along with her medicine and carried it to her room. After successfully getting Quinn to swallow the yucky tasting liquid and making sure she was okay to be alone, I went out to check on Bella. She was happily watching some cartoon and giggling at the screen. "Ready to go, kid?" I asked ruffling her blonde hair by leaning over the back of the couch. She scowled and went to fix her hair, totally Quinn, and then turned to give me a bright smile.

"YES!" She squealed and hopped up in a standing position. "Is Sanny coming too?" I eyed the girl quizzically.

"No?"

"Awh, I want her to come, Britty, since mommy can't go!" She whined and plopped back down in a sitting position.

"What? Am I not enough for you?" I asked playfully. "I'm so hurt.." She pouted up at me again making me huff and pull out my phone. "Fine. I'll call her, let's hope she's not busy." Bella clapped with excitement as she anxiously waiting for me to scroll to find Santana's name. I don't know why, but every time I called her each ring was like a new position for my stomach to flop to. The ringing ended and her raspy voice graced my ears.

"Hey Britt, what's up?" She answered cheerfully.

"Hey, are you busy today?" I asked nervously. I looked down at Bella who was staring at me with big eyes.

"Mm nope, just got off work actually. Why?" Oh thank God, she's not busy! I felt like the weight was lifted off my shoulders, now there's only a 50 percent chance she'll say no.

"Uhm, Quinn and I were going to take Bella to go ice skating later but Quinn's sick and I don't really wanna go by myself and Bella wanted you to come too.." I rambled then took a deep breath. "Do you want to go ice skating with us?" I exhaled and waited for her reply.

"Mm, yeah sure!" She said happily and I felt like doing a little dance. "Want me to pick you guys up?" There was a short pause. "In my car, Brittany.." I giggled to myself at her clarifying and let her continue. "I'm just down the street from your apartment so it's no biggie."

"Hmm, so you work down the street huh?" I asked mysteriously. "Remind me to research every business within a 2 block radius, Bella." Bella looked up at me confused and I heard Santana giggle on the other end.

"You'll never figure it out, I'm under an alias." Santana replied confidently. An alias? So maybe she was a spy or something! "I'll be there soon; does Quinn need anything before I come over?" It made me smile to see Santana offering to do something nice like that for Quinn though they've never really hung out before.

"Mm, nope I think I've got her covered." I said looking over in Quinn's room. "See you soon!" I added then hung up the phone. "Alright Bells, go get your boots and coat on, Santana is on her way." Bella squealed with excitement and bolted to her room. I also bolted to my room and changed out of my work uniform and into some dark blue skinny jeans and a rusty orange floral top. I made my way out to the living room where Bella was pulling on her new boots and dug around in the closet for some comfortable shoes to wear. There was a knock on the door that startled both of us, me nearly falling over as I tried to hop on one leg while trying to put on my shoe.

"I'll get it!" Bella chirped and made a run for the door.

"Oh no you won't!" I called after her and beat her to the door; she wouldn't be able to reach the knob anyway. "It could be a zombie or a giant spider!" I said watching the girl stare up at me with wide eyes. I smirked and peeked through the peek hole. "Oh, nope! It's just Santana." I twisted the door open and watched as Bella wrapped her arms around the Latina. I could tell it took her by surprise by how she quickly inhaled at the hug then soften as she looked down.

"Well hello to you too, Little One." Santana greeted sweetly as she smoothed out Bella's hair then turned to me. "You mind if I change before we go? I'm pretty sure skating around in a skirt just wouldn't work for me." She smiled brightly and I nodded over to the bathroom that she could use, hoping that my eyes wouldn't fall on her perfectly shaped butt as she walked off.

I finished putting Bella's shoes on and zipping up her jacket just in time for Santana to emerge in tight black jeans that just so happened to match perfectly with her white blouse and dark blue blazer she had on already. I swallowed hard trying to push the thought of how well her butt looked in those jeans from my mind. "You guys ready?"

"Yes!" Bella squeaked and jumped for joy. Me and Santana smiled at each other then walked with Bella out to Santana's car making sure I had Bella's car seat in hand. After successfully strapping the car seat and Bella in, we were on our way. Bella of course wanted to hear Christmas music again so Santana played Christmas music. The car ride was about 30 minutes long so there was a lot of time for Bella and San duets as well as impromptu dance numbers by yours truly. I could never really have this much fun in the car since Quinn would get so huffy about me distracting her and killing us all by accident. She's been really weird about distractions ever since she had this nightmare about getting in a car accident and being paralyzed from the waist down. I couldn't drive because I've been in way too many accidents, mostly from car dancing or just be flat out sidetracked, so it was better that I walked or took the bus places. But Santana didn't seem to mind my crazy behavior that much.

We pulled up to Bryant Park and she parked the car then shut the engine off. The sun was just now setting so all the Christmas lights were gleaming against the darkness of the trees. Even from where we parked, we could see the giant Christmas tree decorated with blue and white lights and a shining bright start at the top. Everything seemed so pretty and gave me all sorts of happy feelings, especially with Bella looking up at all the lights with such sparkles in her eyes.

Now that the sun had fully set, the air turned even more colder. Thankfully we were all pretty bundled up. It was cute for Bella because she looked like a little pink marshmallow in her puffy jacket and knit beanie with a tiny poof ball on top and a scarf wrapped around her chin. Santana had on a red pea coat with black leather gloves and a white scarf tucked into her coat while I had on a beige canvas jacket with bright blue gloves on and a yellow beanie. I always thought matching was for squares anyway. Once we paid for our rental skates, we sat down on an unoccupied bench and strapped our feet in. I was the first to finish since I was the only one who didn't wear boots and took the extra time to help Bella while Santana struggled with her laces.

"You forget how to tie your shoes?" I asked with a breathy laugh as I watched the Latina fumble with the strings.

"No, these laces are all tangled up." She huffed as her fingers frantically worked at untying the knots. I finished with Bella and wobbled over to help Santana.

"Here, let me see." I said swatting her hands away when I saw her starting to get flustered. She sighed and dropped her hands while I swiftly undid the knots in less than 10 seconds. "I win!" I said cheerfully and sat up to give her a triumphant smile.

"What the? I definitely loosened them up for you!" Santana smirked and slipped her feet into the skates.

"Uh huh, sure you did." I replied with narrow eyes and stood up along with Bella, inching towards the ice. "Hurry up, slow poke!" I called over my shoulder as Santana wobbled to us with her arms out for balance. I giggled at how crazy she looked with such worried eyes and her legs all shaky. "Something tells me you've never ice skated before.." I said as she got a little closer to Bella and I.

"I-uh-no.." She blushed, trying to steady herself on the dividing wall.

"Ohh, I thought you had before since you sounded so excited when I asked you to come." I replied worried that I might've pressured her into doing something she didn't like.

"Yeah, I've always wanted to try.." She said with sincere eyes that turned stormy soon after. "B-but Brooke never took me so I kind never learned." The way her voice came out sounded so defeated and innocent, something weird coming from a usual confident Santana. She looked a little helpless; clinging to the wall like her life depended on it, if I didn't feel so bad for her I'd probably be laughing.

"Well, me and Bella will teach you!" I said happily and held out my gloved hand for her to take while Bella stayed holding my other hand. She stared at it for a moment like she'd never seen a blue glove before or something. I wiggled my fingers trying to draw her in. "Come on, I'll cushion your fall if you trip." I waited another moment with my hand still extended waiting to see if she'd take it.

She did.

"Okay, the trick is confidence." I said helping her out on the ice. "See, look at Bella." I pointed over at the 4 year old who was swiftly moving in little circles with ease. "If you think you will fall, you will fall." Santana nodded in understanding. She placed a hand on the side wall as I skated backwards in front of her with my arms ready to grab her if she wobbled. "Take little like marching steps, like this." I made my feet move like a penguin's as I skated to the side of her and showed the steps. She copied my movements perfectly and showed me a big grin.

"This is actually pretty eas-" Her body shot backward as her arms flailed out for balance. I hooked my arm around her waist steadying her. The new closeness made my breath hitch as we slowly made eye contact. We were close, like if I would've leaned in an inch closer I would be on her lips. I couldn't do that though, not yet. I slid my arm out from around her and took a tiny step away.

"Forgot to tell you; don't point your toes out straight." I sighed looking down at her feet. "That's like a guaranteed fall." She pressed her lips together and pointed her toes out to the side and went back to marching. Bella had been staying pretty close by knowing that if she wandered off to far I'd start freaking out.

"You look funny Sanny." Bella giggled as she skated backwards in front of Santana. I heard Santana laugh.

"I can't believe I'm being schooled by a 4 year old right now." She snickered and gripped my arm tightly when the half wall ended.

"It's okay, you're doing great!" I commended with a reassuring grin. "Plus you haven't really fallen yet, so you're already doing better than me my first time." Telling her the story of how I learned how to ice skate really calmed her nerves, I realized talking to her while skating really distracted her and soon she was skating just as gracefully as Bella. "Look at you, you're a pro now!" I praised after about 45 minutes or so on the ice. Though most of my focus was on teaching Santana the technique, I still kept a watchful eye on Bella as she skated a few feet ahead of us.

"Heeey, don't-" I don't know how it happened but in a split second, I was laying on my stomach while Santana's butt was resting on my back and her arms were holding herself in an upright position. "jinx it." We both laughed as she rolled off of me and Bella came over standing in front of us.

"I saw you trip, you guys are silly!" Bella squealed then skated circles around us as we tried standing back up.

"I told you I'd cushion your fall." I teased as I threw a smirk in Santana's direction. She rolled her eyes with a smile as we helped each other up into standing positions.

"My butt hurts now." She pouted. I wanted to brush my thumb over her lips her face was so cute.

"_Your_ butt hurts?" I asked with a laugh. "_My_ boobs hurt!" I huffed and made her roll her head back roaring with laughter. "You practically squished me."

"Oh, so you're calling me fat?" She asked with a smirk and put her hands on her hip, cocking her head to the side.

"Never." I answered sweetly and felt myself inching closer to her, or rather sliding to her. I looked down to see Bella trying to pushing on the backs of my legs sliding me closer to the Latina. Always a sneaky one. "And what are you doing down there?" I asked with narrowed eyes.

"Mm, nothing.." Bella answered sweetly as she stared up at us with the most innocent face I've ever seen.

"I'm on to you, Peanut." I warned with a playful finger wag then looked over at Santana who was rubbing at her butt with discomfort, her cheeks and nose turning a little dark from the cold. "You wanna get some hot chocolate now?"

"Oh God, yes! I needz a break." She groaned and wobbled for the nearest exit, but still managed to trip and fall back into me. I successfully braced another fall while Bella once again laughed at us.

"Huh, for once I'm not the one falling and busting my ass." I joked and earned a smirk from the Latina. The three of us changed into our normal shoes, thankful to be back on solid ground, then walked over to the Hot Chocolate stand. Again, no matter how much I protested, Santana ended up buying all the drinks.

"Geez, will you ever let me pay for anything?" I huffed taking two cups from her hand giving on to Bella as she reached for another cup that sat on the counter.

"Mm, maybe." She shrugged and took a sip of her hot chocolate. "Shit." She grimaced making Bella's head whip around to glare at her.

"Sanny!" Bella chastised, making Santana hide behind her cup from Bella's wrath.

"Oh, you're in trouble." I teased, poking at Santana's shoulder. She rolled her eyes at me and smiled.

"Sorry, it was really hot.." She said in a whisper. We sat for a couple minutes just relaxing and watching the people around us as we sipped on our drinks.

"Sanny?" Bella asked after a long pause.

"Yup, Little One?" Santana replied with her elbows resting on the table.

"Are you coming to our Christmas party?" I tightly shut my eyes at hearing her question. How could I have forgotten to invite Santana? She shot me a sideways glance.

"Yeah, I forgot to tell you that you were invited." I explained with a shy smile. "I wasn't sure if you already had plans to spend with your family or not." I said in a quick breath. "If you're busy you don't have to go, I don't want to pressure you." She smiled at me with that one special smile and parted her lips to speak.

"All my family's in Ohio, so not busy." She replied. "I usually just spend Christmas by myself, never really had people that I felt comfortable enough with to make an appearance at a party." My heart broke a little hearing that she usually spent Christmas alone. No one should ever spend any holiday alone!

"Well, you're invited to ours." I replied. "But if you don't feel comfortable around us, though you'd be surprised at how many people you know would be there, you don't have to go." Though I said she didn't have to go, on the inside I really wanted her to go. Something told me she didn't have that many friends, only Noah and she needed to spend more time with people.

"Well, if I'm invited then I'll definitely go." She said with a big smile in Bella's direction who had been anxiously awaiting the Latina's answer.

"Nice!" I cheered. "And don't worry, I'm not like those friends that invite you to a party and ditch you with people you don't know that well, I'll totally keep you company all night." I shrugged already getting too excited for the party that still was at least 2 weeks away.

"All night, huh?"She smirked then looked down at her drinking mumbling something that sounded really close to "Wanky." After one more round on the ice, we were headed back home. I didn't realized how long we stayed out at Bryant Park, when we got to the car it was already 8:30. At some point through all my random stories I liked to tell Santana about my day or whatever, Bella had fallen asleep. Not wanting to wake her, I carefully undid the clasps of her car seat and picked her up in my arms while Santana carried the chair behind me upstairs. Unlocking the door was a bit of a challenge while trying to balance a sleeping Bella on my hip, but Santana gladly took the keys from my hand and unlocked the door for me.

"You can set that down in Bella's room, this way." I whispered and led the way to the little blonde's room. I gestured for Santana to set it down in the corner while I carefully placed Bella in her bed, pulling off her boots and jacket then tucking her under the blankets. She stirred a little, only long enough to give Santana a sleepy goodbye.

"Sweet dreams, Little One." She smiled and walked out the room with me following close behind her.

"I'll walk you down; I need to check the mail anyways." I said as she reached the front door. She nodded and led the way down the stairs. I didn't need to check the mail, I never check the mail. I only wanted an excuse to see her one last time; the time I spend with Santana just never seemed enough. When we made it outside, we were shocked to see that everything was layered in a very thin sheet of white as snowflakes continued to sprinkle the streets. "I _so_ knew it was going to snow today. Totally could be a weather girl." I said looking out at everything. She looked over at me and smiled, but this smile seemed different. I was pretty sure I had categorized all of Santana's types of smiles, but this one was new to me. The way her eyes softened and her cheeks bunched showing of her pearly white teeth formed a new kind of smile.

"I really like hanging out with you, Britt." She said as she fiddled with her hands almost..nervously? "I can't tell you how much I appreciate everything you've done for me; you've been such a great friend." She added as she licked her lips. My stomach started doing cartwheels again the way her tongue swiped across her bottom lip in the most breathtakingly painful way. But that word friend kept echoing in my head, I wanted to be more than friends but I didn't want to rush her. Still, hiding my feelings for her was getting a little tougher each day. How could I possibly control myself around such a stunning girl who had me completely smitten? I had to say something, at least hint that I wanted more than just a friendship with her.

"Santana, I-I need to tell you something." I stammered, nerves taking over my body. I thought that my knees were going to give out on me at any second, but I remained standing. Snowflakes were collecting on her shoulders and wisps of hair, making her almost sparkle in the street lights. Somehow our bodies became closer as I struggled to find the words to express how I felt. I watched as her eyelashes fluttered as snowflakes threatened to collect on them. One particular snowflake happened to land on the tip of her tanned nose and before I knew I was bringing my wrist up to wipe it away. I saw her take in a sharp breath at my touch as her eyes focused on my wrist. I instinctively licked my lips when I let my wrist fall slowly just a little from her nose as my eyes landed on her full lips. I had no control over my body anymore, I was moving purely on instinct. My only focus was on her lips as I brought up my index finger and thumb to rest under her chin and tilt it up ever so slightly as I leaned in. My eyes flickered from her lips to her eyes taking in the fact that her eyes were glued to my lips as well. I was close now, so close that I could smell her strawberry chapstick wafting off her lips. Just as I was about to close the distance, I felt her pull away slightly.

"Brittany, wait." She whispered, we were still close enough that even her warm breath tickled against my lips. I was so close. I tried to lean in a little further, but she took another step back shaking her head. "I-It's too soon." I instantly felt like the biggest jerk in the world. Here I was trying so hard to keep a friendship with this girl after a bad break up yet here I am barely 2 weeks later attempting to kiss her. How could I be so insensitive? She was in love with someone, Brittany! 2 weeks is clearly not enough time for her to move on knowing just how messed up she was about the whole thing. She probably doesn't even trust being around you anymore now that you've tried something so _stupid_ like that. Forget that she's looking at you with such heartfelt concern in her eyes and just turn around before you screw up anymore.

"I-I'm sorry."

* * *

A/N I know, I know, don't hate me! I wrote this chapter out before the promo aired, I didn't know that they were going to pull some Bram fuckery like that so soon. I feel bad now cause' I wanted to give you guys a little angst, but that promo but the whole Brittana fandom in a funk. No worries though, my angst never lasts long ( ;

also, credits of the ship name Brittanella go out to hlnwst & Angelinside77 definitely didn't realize someone had already come up with it! ( :


	15. Chapter 15 Take Care

CHAPTER 15

I've never felt so horrible before in my life. I just kept replaying the whole thing over and over again in my head, only to fuel my frustration. How could I do try something so stupid that could possibly jeopardize our friendship? I felt so guilty and ashamed. I buried my face in my pillows and just let the tears fall from my eyes in hopes that crying it out would relieve some of these emotions.

"Britt?" I heard someone say softly from behind my bedroom door. "I'm coming in." Quinn pushed the door open, her short blonde hair in a messy nest as she walked over to sit on the edge of my bed. "What's going on?" She asked in a delicate tone as she rubbed circles on my back. My body was still shuddering from all the sobbing so my words came out in shaky inhales.

"I..tried..kiss..ing..her." I stuttered with a trembling bottom lip. "I'm..so..stup..id."

"Don't call yourself that." Quinn said sternly then brought her sweater sleeve up to wipe my tears. "You're in love, not stupid." The words hit me like that time when I was chasing Bella around the house and I accidently ran into the wall. Love? I know Quinn's teased me about it before, but now that I think of it, this might very well be love.

"How do you know?" I asked as my breath evened out. I've never been in love I don't think. Yeah, I've had strong attractions to past girlfriends but never have I wanted a relationship so bad that I'm willing to just be friends first. Is that love?

"How don't I know?" She countered with a smirk. "You've had your eyes on her for so long yet you never made a move. Though countless women attempted hitting on you, you never had eyes for anyone else. The when you _did _make a move and found out she had a shitty girlfriend, what did you do? You didn't coax her into cheating on her with you but became her best friend. You care more about her happiness and well being than your own. And now you're crying because you _tried_ kissing her. You didn't actually go through with it, but you _tried_. Now you're upset because why? You didn't want to pressure her. Once again you're putting your own feelings aside for the wellbeing of hers. Forget that you've been waiting for this girl for like months and probably fantasize about what her lips feel like and focus only on what she needs." She explained. "If that's not love then everyone else is doing it wrong." She added with the shrug of her shoulders. I took everything Quinn just said to heart, letting it roll around in my. Love. It seemed to be making more and more sense the longer I thought about it.

"Thanks Q." I mumbled wiping my face with my hand. "You're the best best friend ever."

"Yeah, tell me something I don't know." She smirked and patted on my thigh before getting back up. "Glad to see I'm still excellent at pep talks."

"Oh Q?" I said as she spun back around. "You feeling better now?" She nodded lazily then ran her hand through her crazy bed hair.

"Yeah, little bit. I guess I just had to sleep it off." She shrugged. "I'm going to check on Bella now, goodnight." She said the closed my door. I stared up at the ceiling thinking about Santana and this theory of love until I fell asleep.

_The Next Morning;_

I squinted my eyes at the bright light shining through the curtains and tried rolling over. Just the slightest move made my head feel like people were pounding hammers against my skull. I reached up to the sides of my head and pressed my hands in against my ears. I felt like my brain was throbbing or something, threatening to hop out of my skull at any moment. It was definitely not a good feeling. I was too focused on the excruciating pain in my head that I didn't realize that I could barley breath out my nose and my throat was itchy. Now that I think of it, I feel really really hot like I think I'm actually sweating right now. How could I have gotten sick in the past 8 hours? I haven't even left my room yet! It couldn't be from being in the cold yesterday because I was completely bundled up and if so, that would mean Bella and Santana would be sick too.

Somehow I managed to roll off my bed and stumble out to the kitchen fighting off the throbbing pain beating in my head. My feet shuffled against the floor as I wobbled pass the kitchen where Quinn was fixing Bella's breakfast and to the little one's room.

"Holy hell, what happened to you?" Quinn asked as she caught me stumbling by. "Britt, sit down. You look terrible." She forced me down on the kitchen stool while I took notice of her still crazy bed hair.

"No, _you_ look terrible." I said weakly trying to shield my eyes from the kitchen lights. "I look awesome." I tried to shrug, but everything felt really sore.

"Uh huh, right." She laughed then pushed a cup of red liquid over to me. "I think you got what I had yesterday so drink that." I groaned pushed the cup back to her.

"That's gross though.." I mumbled but Quinn took the cup and set it in my hand with a stern motherly look. "Fine." I huffed and swallowed the liquid flicking my tongue out at the horrible taste.

"You're staying in bed today; it's the only way to get rid of it." Quinn said as she put the medicine away and pushed me back towards my room. Then I remembered why I came out of my room in the first place for, Bella. "Don't worry, Britt, Bella didn't catch it." I nodded and let her drag me back to my room. "Alright, I'll check on you in a bit after I take Bella to school." She said as she turned to walk out. I felt a little tired but not enough to fall back asleep. I rolled over, throwing the blankets over my head as I buried the side of my face into my pillow. I only remained that way for about 15 seconds before I felt like I was baking underneath the sheets. I threw off the blanket, the cool air in my room slapping me in the face. I was on my back now staring up at the ceiling trying my hardest to go to sleep, but I couldn't. Not only was I thinking about how horrible this was, but also Santana and what happened last night. I still couldn't believe I tried kissing her when I've been so adamant about being friends first. Then again, Quinn's love talk really had me questioning myself. Could I have been in love with Santana this whole time and not realized it? I knew I had strong feelings for the girl, but love never really crossed my mind. I sighed and rolled over on my side with my hands tucked under my cheek. Either way, I screwed things up last night; who knows how Santana feels around me now. Moments later, I dozed off in a dreamless sleep.

_2 Hours Later;_

I felt the bed dip beside me and cool fingertips brush away my matted hair from my forehead. I was still somewhat asleep, but conscious of the touches. I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes completely, so I lazily squinted up at the figure sitting next to me with a damp washcloth in their hand, dabbing at my forehead. The more they pressed the small towel against my skin, the more I woke up. I tried blinking away the blurriness a couple times, realizing it was easier to see now that there wasn't much sunlight blinding me through the curtains. It was actually extremely dark in my room, which couldn't be possible because it was super sunny earlier. Maybe it's raining now, who knows, I live in New York. The first thing my readjusted eyes landed on was a sleeve, a sleeve of a leather jacket. Quinn does not wear leather jackets. The only person I know who almost always wears a leather jacket is..

"Santana?" I breathed as the person dropped their hand from my forehead and stared down at me with a warm smile. "Why are you..How did you get in?" I stammered trying to sit up. This whole time I thought it was Q checking on me when really it was Santana, talk about an interesting wake up call. Her hand gently nudged my shoulder so that I was back in a laying position.

"Lay down, if you get up your head will start spinning." Ha, yeah. In more ways than one! I did as I was told though and rested my head in my pillows. I stared up at her wanting to ask her all these questions, but I couldn't bring my lips to move. She dropped her hand again from my forehead and looked at me with soft eyes. "I ran into Bella and Quinn on my way to The Coffee Shop."She said looking down at the washcloth in her hand, toying with the hem. "Quinn told me you were sick and that she'd have to call out of work again to make sure you're okay." Her voice sounded a little shaky almost like a child's that's been caught doing something that they weren't supposed to. "I told her that I'd check on you so that she could go back to work-"

"San, you didn't have to-"

"No, it's okay." She nodded with a smile. "You've taken care of me, so now it's my time to take care of you." She brought the washcloth back up to my forehead then dabbed at my cheeks. "I also put up a towel over your window; you should really get some darker curtains." I glanced over at the window and saw my orange towel hanging over the curtain rod blocking most of the sunlight.

"But I don't want to get you sick too.." I mumbled looking up at her with my lip involuntarily jutting out. She snickered a little then shook her head.

"Don't worry, I have a killer immune system." She said with a reassuring smile. There was a pause where I just stared at her with this hesitant look on my face. Having her _this_ close to me and her not knowing what she means to me really put me in a weird position. "Britt, just let me take care of you." I swallowed hard. The way those words left her mouth made me feel like flying. However, I didn't forget about what happened last night. Suddenly all my thoughts came flooding into my head and I couldn't stop the feeling that I'd done something that could ruin our friendship.

"I'm sorry, about last night.." I choked out still looking up at her past the washcloth. "I-I didn't mean to make our friendship weird like that, you probably think I'm just another girl trying to seduce you and make a whole bunch of lady babies." The words left my mouth in one breath; I was more thinking out loud rather than really trying to talk to her. I was just voicing my thoughts.

"You know I would never think of you like that." She said softly as she slowly brought her hands to her lap. "And you don't have to apologize, I'm pretty sure there's been a few times where I've wanted to do the same.." My breath hitched as I watched her fumble with her hands. She's wanted to kiss me too? Not just once did she feel that, but a _few_ times! "I should be the one apologizing." She sighed then looked over to me with a lopsided grin. "Not once did I think about your feelings.." She said in a guilty tone. I looked at her with a confused look, not sure if she was just talking about feelings in general or my _secret_ feelings. I searched her dark eyes for an answer, but once again she was unreadable.

"It's okay."

"No, Britt, it's not." She said sternly. Her jaw clenched, but I knew it wasn't meant for me. She was getting mad at herself again, I know because that's how I felt last night. So disappointed in myself and now she's sitting across from doing the same thing. I wonder if she had a hard time sleeping last night too. I bet she did, they're bags under her eyes and though she smiles, I can still see the tiredness in her face.

"We can talk about it later." I whispered. All this talking and thinking wasn't really helping my headache, though I really did want to talk more about this with Santana. I gave her a weak smile and a nod.

"Okay… do you want me to get you anything?" She asked as she quickly shuffled to her feet. "You can't have more medicine for another 2 hours.."

"Good, that stuff tastes nasty." I mumbled weakly and rolled over. "Could you get me some water, please?"

"Yeah, I'll be right back." Within 3 minutes she was back wielding a giant glass of water. "There you are." She said holding it down to my level. I reached for it and took 3 gulps, nearly downing the whole glass before giving it back. "Wow, thirsty?" she asked in a light hearted tone as she placed the glass on my night stand. "Anything else?"

"Mm, can you hand me the remote?" I pointed my chin to the top of the tv in the front of my room. "It's over there." She spun around and retrieved the remote then handed it to me. She stood awkwardly beside my bed as I flipped through the channels. I stole a glance at her a smiled. She was like a little puppy waiting for its owner to come home the way she was standing there with her arms crossed over her chest. "You can sit down if you want." I said quietly as I patted the spot next to me on the bed. She looked down at me then over at the spot like she was running all these types of scenarios that could happen in her head. I couldn't blame her, I was doing the same thing, but I'm sick and I would definitely not try something especially after last night.

She nodded then walked around my bed, kicking her boots off, then slowly crept on the bed. There was a huge gap between us, but I didn't mind it was probably for the best. After watching a couple reality shows, the awkwardness of sitting on my bed watching tv with each other was gone and turned to a comfortable silence. At some point throughout all the shows, I dozed off again. It wasn't like the deep sleeps that I'm so used to having, but a conscious rest. I knew I was sleeping, but I could still kinda hear the tv and the sound of Santana's low giggles yet I couldn't control my body from moving or wield my eyes to open. I felt myself roll over so that I was on my side facing Santana and my arm loosely fell around her waist. I tried to pull myself away, but my limbs just felt way too heavy to move. The more I tired rolling back over to my side of the bed, the deeper I fell in sleep. Just as I was about to pass out completely, I felt cool fingertips brush the hair from my face then an arm wrap around my back cradling me closer. All Santana's touches seemed to jolt me awake again, but one last look up at the grin she had on her lips calmed me enough to fall back in to a comfortable rest.

_Another 2 Hours Later;_

The sound of an audience laughing pulled me out of my slumber. For a moment I forgot where I was, the first thing I saw when I awoke was grey cotton. Confused, because my pillow cases are pink, I lifted my head a little. Suddenly I was extremely aware of where I was and who I previously had my head resting on. I felt my body tense as I followed the length of my arm down to where it was draped over the Latina's waist. I looked up at the girl but found that, at some point taken her jacket off and was just in her plain grey t-shirt as she rested her head against my headboard with her eyes closed. I slowly exhaled thankful that she wasn't awake so I could slip away from her. I tried rolling back over to my side of the bed but felt her arm tense from around my back and keeping me close. Even though she's asleep and it's probably just reflexes, I couldn't help but smile at the gesture. I guess my movements woke her up because she dropped her hand from my back and spoke.

"Oh, you're awake." She mumbled, her voice groggy sounding.

"Sorry." I slipped my arm from her and rolled back to my side feeling a little embarrassed for invading her space..again. "I'm a cuddler.." I whispered and made sure there was a big enough gap between us.

"Well, I rather you be a cuddler than a kicker." She joked, the sound of her laughter instantly easing my nerves. "How you feeling?" She asked as she leaned over to me and brought her palm against my forehead. "Seems like you're temperature's gone down." She withdrew her hand but remained close as she smiled down at me.

"Yeah, I'm not sweating as much." I replied weakly. "But my headache is still pounding, but not totally killing me like earlier."

"That's good." She said and checked the time. "You can actually take another dose, it's been 2 hours." I scrunched up my face when I heard her mention the gross medicine. I can already smell the yucky cherry scented liquid, gross. She snickered and sat back shaking her head.

"Uh, I think I'll pass on that." I answered with a disgusted look.

"Britt..if you want to get better fast you have to take some more." She countered sternly. "Also, I brought some snacks for you. They're in the kitchen."

"Snacks?" I asked anxiously, perking up a bit. "What kind of snacks?" She narrowed her eyes at me and smirked.

"Take you're medicine and I'll tell you." I narrowed my eyes back at her but ultimately gave up.

"Fine, let's go." I grumbled and started to swing my legs out from under the blankets.

"No, you stay." She said placing her hand on my thigh, stopping me from moving any further and also making my breath hitch for the millionth time. "I'll bring it to you." She added, then patted my leg as she got up. I watched as she left the room, my eyes falling on her perfect ass again. God bless the genius who invented such tight fitting jeans! Alright, control your hormones. I sat up a bit so that my head was resting on the headboard as I flipped through the channels.

"Alright, drink up!" Santana said as she sauntered in wielding a tiny cup with red liquid inside. "Then I'll make you some lunch." I felt my stomach grumble and realized I hadn't really eaten that much today. I sighed and reached for the cup and shot it back in one gulp. I flicked my tongue out again at the horrid tasted and handed the cup back.

"Yum." I groaned causing the brunette to giggle. "Now where's the snacks?"

"No snacks..but I did bring stuff for lunch." She said with a sweet smile. "I hope you like soup." She shrugged and walked out of my room again. I settled back against my headboard as I waited anxiously for the Latina to come back.

_15 Minutes Later;_

"Hey Britt, wake up." I heard someone coo. "I've got your food ready. Here, sit up." I guess I must've fallen asleep again as Santana sat at the edge of my bed next to me holding a bowl of what looked like to be chicken noodle soup. I reached for the bowl with shaky hands. "Careful, it's still pretty hot." She warned and cradled the bowl until I had it completely. I took a spoonful and slurped it down after blowing the steam off. The hot liquid warmed my insides as it went down and really hit the spot. I looked up and noticed her watching me with soft eyes.

"You're not eating?" I asked after getting halfway through the bowl of soup. She shook her head 'no'. "You're not hungry?"

"Nah, I had a big breakfast. Still pretty stuffed." She replied with a shrug. I waved it off and continued eating. After finishing off the bowl and setting on the night stand, I settled back against the headboard and watched as the Latina nodded in and out of sleep next to me. It was kinda funny seeing the way her head bobbed then quickly picked back up pretending like she didn't almost fall asleep. "Not get enough sleep last night?" I asked softly as she turned her head slowly to me with a half grin and shook her head. "Yeah, I can tell." I said, noticing her half lidded eyes. "What kept you up?" There was a long pause and I thought that maybe she had fallen asleep, but I saw her eyes flutter.

"You."

My breath caught in my throat as my eyes almost popped out. I definitely wasn't expecting that for an answer. When I almost kissed her she stopped me saying that it was too soon, so I assumed that she still had Brooke on her mind. Thinking about Brooke would be the reason that she couldn't sleep last night, not me.

"There's something about you Brittany.." She sighed with her eyes focused on wringing out her hands. "I don't know what it is, but I like it." I felt the corners of my mouth pull up in a grin and my cheeks redden. "But at the same time, Brooke's bad habits have got me thinking that you can't be this perfect." My smile faltered a bit. Of course, Brooke had to go and ruin it for everyone else when it came to Santana's feelings.

"I-I'm not like her, I'd never make you feel the way she did." I replied in a shaky breath. "I only want to make you happy.." She looked up at me with a small grin on her lips.

"And I want to believe you, so much." She said with pleading eyes. "But Brooke, she really messed me up." She sighed in defeat. "Just give me a little more time, I'm really trying.." The way she was begging with her eyes made me want to wrap my arms around her and shield her from all the bad feelings that Brooke has plagued her with, but I had to keep my distance.

"Santana, if you haven't noticed by now, I really _really_ care about you." I replied, my heart pounding at my chest. I reached for her hands to keep them from squeezing and pulled them to my lap. "I know she's really hurt you, but I'm willing to fix you." I said rubbing circles with my thumbs at the backs of her hands. "I'll be whatever you need me to be as long as you're happy."

She smiled back at me with a mega watt smile then did something I didn't expect at all. She pulled her hands away from mine and grabbed on my shoulders and drew me to her body, her hands sliding from my shoulders to the high part of my back, until our bodies were flush. At first I was frozen, but then lifted my arms to return the hug.

"Hey Bri- oh, sorry.." Sam's voice echoed as he walked in my room with Bella in his arms the quickly spun around leaving. I didn't even hear the front door open, I must really been under Santana's spell for this hug. Both laughing now, we pulled away as I called for Sam to come back. He took a couple steps in hesitantly as he let down an excited Bella. "Sorry, I should've knocked..

"Why, we weren't doing anything bad?' I replied as me and Santana continued laughing at Sam's red cheeks. "And how did you get in here? Is Quinn handing out keys to just anyone now?" Sam chuckled and shook his head.

"She told me you weren't feeling well and since she was at work no one was able to pick up Bella from school so I offered to do it." He shrugged. "She gave me her house key and told me to just leave it with you once I took Bella home."

"Britty, Sammy got me ice cream when he got me from school!" Bella squealed excitedly then ran over to Santana with outstretched arms. I looked at Santana smiling down at Bella then bent over to scoop her up and place her in her lap. I loved seeing Santana interact with the little girl, it was adorable. "What are you doin here Sanny? Did you make Britty feel better?" Santana tossed me a smile, her eyes sparkling a little as she stared into my eyes, then looked back at the girl in her lap.

"I hope so, Little One."

* * *

A/N Told you my angst doesn't last long! ( ; I hope this makes up for last night's chapter, at least we know a little more about how Santana feels. Let me know what's up!


	16. Chapter 16 Christmas Eve

A/N I broke my record of daily updates, so sad! / : Anyway, much love for all the reviews from the last couple chapters. I loved seeing all the suggestions for Santana's job, ready to see what she does? Read on, my friends.

* * *

CHAPTER 16

_2 Weeks Later; _

"Britt, what are you doing" Quinn asked with her hand on her hip quirking an eyebrow up at me. I was standing on Bella's stool that she uses when she brushes her teeth in front of the fridge trying to attach the mistletoe I bought to the ceiling. I had my arms out stretched to its furthest as I strained to pin the bundle up.

"Hanging the mistletoe, duh.." I replied once I pressed the thumbtack in and took a step down from the stool admiring my work.

"Usually people hang it in like doorways or something, but in front of the fridge?" She asked with her forehead crinkled and a smirk on her lips. "I'm not getting it.."

"First of all, doorways are way too easy!" I exclaimed picking up the stool and walking around the set of counters that divided the kitchen from the living room. "And second, Sam is always in our fridge and you're always right behind him telling him to not touch your bacon so.." I sent her a sly smile as I walked off to put the stool back leaving Quinn with her jaw dropped and yelling after me to take it down. Oh the perks of being the tallest one in the house, even standing on the stool Quinn can't touch the ceiling like I can. It was time for me to start giving her the little push that she needs to get things going with Sam. I can tell she's lonely sometimes, and I know Sam would do anything for her so what's the problem?

Actually, now that I think about it Quinn and Sam's friendship is sort of like me and Santana's. Like Sam, I would do anything for Santana whether I'd like to admit to that or not. But like Quinn, Santana's been hurt and it's gunna take more than a few pats on the shoulder to fix them. Either way, we have pretty solid friendships and I've always thought that the best relationships stem from friendships. And judging from how happy Quinn was from her "Not-Date" with Sam, they're time was coming! I just hope that me and Santana's is following close behind.

"Britty, where can I put this?" Bella asked holding up a long rope of red garland as I walked out from her room. She was practically buried up to her knees in the stuff!

"Hm, we could put some around that?" I suggested, pointing a finger to the column near the front door. "And maybe hang a little over there?" I said pointing over to the kitchen counters that acted as a dividing wall for the kitchen and living room. Her face lit up as she started twirling around with the garlands in her hands. I smiled down at the girl who had successfully tied herself up in the decorations.

"Can you just stay young forever?" Quinn cooed as she lifted the girl from the garlands and into a tight hug, Bella's legs swinging from side to side as her mother spun them around.

"Mommy!" Bella giggled as she clung to Quinn's neck. I stood over to the side just watching their cuteness.

"Alright you two, "I called interrupting their mother daughter moment, "We've got 3 hours to get this place ready for the party tonight. Plus, we still need to figure out what we're cooking for dinner."

"You mean what _I'm_ cooking for dinner." Quinn smirked as she set her daughter back down and walked into the kitchen where she was switching out all our dish towels with Christmas print ones.

"Right!" I replied and started to help Bella hang the garlands. "Speaking of that, is Sam still coming over to help you cook?"

"Yes.." Quinn answered, sending a glare in my direction to counter my smirk.

"Oh, okay..just checking." I said innocently and watched as Quinn continued to eye me.

"Is Santana still coming over to help you decorate?" She countered with an even more devilish smirk.

"I never said she was coming over to help decorate, I just said she was coming to the party." I replied poking my tongue out at her, Bella giggling at my childish antics. Quinn rolled her eyes with a smile and went back to decorating while I helped Bella with the garlands.

_3 Hours Later;_

"Sam, can you lift this?" I heard Quinn ask from the kitchen. "I think it's done cooking now."

"Yeah, I got it." He answered cheerfully. I was in the living room setting the table while Bella was occupied with watching some Christmas movie. I tried my best to not creep on the soon-to-be couple, but it was too hard since they kept being so cute. I looked up to the kitchen to see the two of them huddled in front of the stove; Quinn handing Sam a pair of oven mits while he gave her a goofy smile. I turned away and focused back to setting the table. So far, Sam was the only one here but it was nearing 7 so people should start showing up at any second now.

"Sam..you okay?" I heard Quinn ask frantically that made me spin my head to their direction again. "This is why I wanted to give you gloves so you wouldn't burn yourself.." She scolded then dragged him by the wrist to the ice dispenser on the fridge.

"Quinn, I'm fine." Sam groaned as she pulled him along.

"Just put some ice on it so it doesn't start swelling up." She bargained as she pressed on the ice tab and retrieved a cube and held it to his knuckle.

"MISELTOE!" I yelled when I realized that they were both standing by the fridge where my strategically placed mistletoe was hanging. Quinn shot me a glare as Sam looked up at the bundle and chuckled. I returned Quinn's glare then replaced it with a sweet smile. "You know the rules." I shrugged and folded my arms over my chest waiting for the inevitable.

"Yeah mommy, you know the rules!" Bella chimed in as she hoped around on the couch. Quinn rolled her eyes then sighed before looking over at Sam with a soft smile on her lips.

"Do it.." I encouraged with a fist pump in the air. Sam shook his head smiling then reached a hand up to cup Quinn's chin as he leaned in a little. I was surprised to see Quinn close the distance as she smiled into the kiss. "Yes!" Me and Bella cheered as the two blondes exchanged another kiss before pulling apart. I was about to go into some teasing when I heard a knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" Bella squealed and made a break for the door. Knowing that she still wasn't able to reach the door knob, I walked over instead of running.

"Come on, Peanut, let's see who's here first." I said picking up the girl in my arms and opened the door.

"Hi Brittany!" Rachel greeted with Finn standing off to the side of her. "Hi Bella, you've gotten so big since the last time I've seen you." She said pinching at the little girl's cheek.

"Hey guys, foods almost done, Sam and Quinn are in the kitchen." I greeted and waved my free hand for them to follow me to the living room. Next to show up were Mike and his girlfriend whose name has slipped my mind at the moment, but I'm pretty sure it starts with a D or maybe a M? Whatever, she's here. After them was Quinn's friend Mercedes then Kurt and Blaine. Everyone was here except for one other person, the most important guest.

"Where's Santana?" Kurt asked from the couch where Bella was climbing all over him and Blaine like they were some type of playground. I looked at the time; she was only 20 minutes late.

"She'll be here; she's probably on her way now." I answered not really sure if that was truth or not. She was going to be here though, she already said she really wanted to go. Plus, ever since our talk a couple weeks ago, we've been hanging out a lot more. Still as friends, but at least she knows that I'm here for her when she's ready.

"I'll get it!" Bella yelled as she jumped off Blaine's lap and ran for the door. I didn't even hear a knock or anything, but I followed Bella to the door anyway.

"Slow down, Peanut." I giggled and picked her up placing her on my hip before swinging the door open.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." Santana said with a smile and held up a gift bag. "I brought gifts though." My heart fluttered when I saw her in a tight black dress and her hair loosely curled, she was beautiful. I swallowed thickly and reached for the bag as Bella stretched her arms out for the Latina.

"It's all good." I replied as I threw her a smile. "You're just fashionably late." She nodded over at me as Bella clung to her neck then joined the others in the living room while I placed her gifts under the tree in the corner of the room. When I stood up I had the perfect view of the joined rooms. Seeing all our friends sitting in the living room all engaged in conversation, Bella climbing about but mostly staying with Santana, Quinn and Sam in the kitchen being flirty as ever, and the low Christmas playing in the background. I wish I had a camera just to capture the moment. Everything gave me that warm fuzzy feeling and I just felt like hugging something I was so happy. Just then I felt little fingers grabbing onto my hand and pulling me in the direction of the couches.

"Come sit Britty." Bella said as she climbed up on the couch next to Santana then patted the spot next to her. I complied and wedged myself between Bella and Mercedes.

"Hey Mercedes, how's the music thing going?" I asked seeing that I haven't talked to Mercedes in like a few weeks. Ever since she got signed she's been super busy, but I know Quinn's really proud of her, Mercedes definitely earned it.

"It's going really well! I've got a gig out in D.C in a couple weeks, it's a week long thing." She said with a big grin then looked past me. "Santana's label is doing great things for me, so blessed."

"Wait, what?" I coughed out and swung my head to look at Santana who was smiling a smug grin. "You have your _own _label?" I was awe struck. I mean, that would explain the super nice car and her work clothes I guess.

"I do." Santana nodded with a smile while I was sitting her mind blown. "SnixxJuice."

"You're the owner of SnixxJuice?! What the hell?" I replied even more shocked.

"Britty!" Bella chastised as she bumped with her elbow in my side. Everyone laughed at the little girl scolding me as I apologized.

"Who do you think brought Noah the amazing talent that is Rachel Berry?" Santana shrugged, nodding over to Rachel who was grinning at the compliment.

"Wow, I just received a compliment for _the_ Santana Lopez!" Rachel joked and started digging her phone out of her purse. "Could you say it again? I want proof!" Santana rolled her eyes and laughed.

"And there you go making me regret saying it." Santana said shaking her head making Kurt and Mercedes laugh. The conversation moved on to Mercedes talking about what other shows she's done while I was still stuck on Santana Lopez owning her own record label! I leaned over Bella so that Santana could hear me over everyone talking.

"I still can't believe you are the owner of SnixxJuice.." I said to the smirking brunette. "I would've never guessed!"

"Well, I'm the co-owner." She replied and sent someone a wink. I followed her line of sight to Kurt.

"Kurt is the other owner?!" I exclaimed with my jaw dropped. I looked over to the boy who was clearly amused with me. "I feel like my whole life's been a lie." I feigned hurt and brought my hand up to my forehead in agony then looked down at Bella. "And how about you? Do you own Nickelodeon and aren't telling me?" Bella looked up at me confused. "I guess not." I replied and looked up at Santana.

"Kurt is co-owner, but more of a silent partner really." She said reassuringly. "I'm actually surprised you didn't know already, SnixxJuice is like one of the biggest labels in New York."

"I don't know how I missed it, that's crazy." I breathed still trying to process all the new information. Just then Quinn called that dinner was ready.

"Alright guys, plates are here, cups there, food on the counter. Have at it." She yelled over us as she picked up Bella. "What do you want for your plate, baby?" She asked sweetly to Bella as they walked off.

"Come on, I'll point you to all the good stuff." I said over to Santana as everyone started getting up. She nodded and followed me to the kitchen where the line was starting to form.

"Finn, please save some for the rest of us." Kurt teased as he watched the taller boy pile food onto his plate. Me and Santana laughed from behind Mike.

"Oh Brittany, how's everything going with Showtimes?" Mike asked as he spun around to face us. "I don't really get to see you as often now that your practice at their studio.."

"Yeah, I know! Maybe you can stop by some time then? They promoted me to choreographer!" I replied happily and watched as Mike's face lit up.

"Wow, Britt, that's really something! I can't wait till you're famous." He teased then turned to start making his plate with his girlfriend tagging along beside him.

"You have a really great bunch of friends, Britt." Santana said softly. "I can't believe how many mutual friends we have, it's weird."

"Told you that there would be a lot of people you'd know." I replied and picked up a plate then handed one to her. "But I'll still keep you company anyways." She smiled up at me then let me fix her plate for her, making sure she got a little bit of everything before finding a seat at the dining table next to Quinn and Sam.

"As always Q, everything is delicious!" Mercedes complimented as other nodded and threw out compliments to the blonde.

"Oh you guys.." Quinn blushed and nodded over to Sam. "Sam helped this time so he deserves some credit too."

"Yeah, or you could just give him another kiss.." I mumbled and got a pointy elbow in the side from Quinn. "What?" I asked innocently and shot her a sweet smile before going back to eating. After about a couple hours of socializing with full stomachs, everyone was starting to head out. It was around midnight when everyone started shouting "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" since it was now officially Christmas. We all exchanged goodbye hugs as Quinn and I walked everyone to the door wishing them a happy holiday. Everyone had left except for Sam and Santana who insisted on helping clean up. No one ever stayed to help us so our routine was to just leave everything till the morning or rather the afternoon since Bella would want to open presents as soon as she woke up. I walked back over to the table where Santana was piling up dirty dishes.

"Hey, you really don't have to stay and clean.." I said as I joined her in gathering plates.

"No, it's alright." She said with a lopsided grin. "Plus, I still have to give you your present." Present? Crap, I didn't get her anything!

"You got me a present?" I asked quietly as I carried the plates to the sink behind her where Quinn and Sam were washing and drying. She nodded. "You didn't have to.."

"Don't worry, Britt, it didn't cost me a thing." She reassured me and headed back out to gather the rest of the dishes while I still stood next to Quinn.

"She got you a present?" Quinn whispered to me. I nodded slightly. "She wants your body, Britt." She joked and made me start smiling uncontrollably.

"Ugh, Sam control your girlfriend." I teased back and walked out to Santana before Quinn started with the snarky comments. Santana brought over the last of the dishes as I was heading back out.

"This is the last of it." Santana said holding up the plates the nodded for me to wait. "I'll go get your gift now, it's in my purse." She said as she handed the plates to Sam then turned to walk pass me as Quinn threw me a smirk from over her shoulder. I rolled my eyes and followed Santana out.

"I feel a little bad, Santana." I said as I sat down next to her on the couch while she dug in her purse. "I didn't get you anything.." She smiled up at me and shook her head.

"You've given me an awesome friendship, that's good enough for me." She replied then handed me an envelope. I took it wish shaky hands then flipped up the tab and pulled out a piece of cardstock and read:

_This card hereby grants one, Brittany Pierce, a song of her choosing sung by one, Santana Lopez. No expiration. _

"Really?!" I exclaimed with a huge smile after reading the card over several times.

"Yeah, you are always really supportive when I sing at Showtimes so I knew you'd really like this." She shrugged shyly. "Told you it didn't cost me anything." She smiled.

"Best. Present. Ever." I said and pulled her in for a friendly hug. "Now I have to think about what song I want, this might take awhile."

"No worries, there's no expiration." She winked and pointed at the card in my hands. We smiled at each other, probably in some deep conversation with our eyes again, until I heard Bella talking.

"Britty, can you open my present now?" Bella asked as she emerged from her room in her red and white onesie.

"Bells, you're supposed to be sleeping.." I said quietly as I walked the girl back to her room so Quinn wouldn't see her up. "Come on, I'll open it in the morning."

"Awhh, but I want you to have it now.." Bella groaned as I placed her back under the covers. There she goes with the pout. Oh no, not the eyes, anything but the puppy dog eyes!

"Fine.." I sighed in defeat. "Where is it?" Bella's face lit up as she threw the covers off and ran to her closet where she pulled out a flat box then handed it to me.

"Mommy helped me wrap it." Bella said as she handed me the gift. I admired the perfect wrapping and the matching bow, Quinn definitely had some OCD when it came to gift wrapping. "Open it, Britty!" Bella squealed excitedly. I sat down on the edge of her bed and began tearing at the paper then lifted the lid of the box.

"Oh Bella, this is beautiful!" I cooed and smiled at the girl. Inside the box was a hand drawn picture of a whale with cut out pictures of me and Bella filling the vast space inside the whale forming a collage while the space around it was colored with all types of colors. "Is that what you were coloring that day when you didn't want me to look?" Bella nodded and wiggled around on her bed before I laid the picture back down in the box and wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug. "I love it, I think I might actually frame it and hang it in my room!" I said into her blonde locks. "But for now, it'll be up on the fridge because all great pieces of art start off on the fridge." I kissed the top of Bella's head then tucked her back into bed. I picked up the box with Bella's picture in it and walked it out to the living room. I smiled down at the picture thinking of all the work she had to go through to make this. Bella was such a cool kid.

"What do you got there?" Santana asked from behind me as I hung the picture up on the fridge with magnets. I felt her presence closer to me. "Did Bella make that?"

"Yeah, isn't it cool?" I replied still staring at the picture. "She's going to be famous one day, watch." I laughed and made Santana chuckle too.

"MISTLETOE!" I heard Quinn yell and it nearly deafened me. I looked around at who she could me talking to then realized where I was standing then looked up.

"Damn." I laughed and turned to face Santana who was just as taken aback as I was.

"You know the rules.." Quinn cooed and crossed her arms as she leaned back into Sam's chest. My own plan back fired. I looked back over to Santana who was a little anxious looking. I instantly thought about the last kiss and felt a little nervous. I smiled to her and leaned in, my breath hitching at the familiar closeness again. This time I smelled her cherry chapstick and wondered if like me she always lost her chapsticks since last time her lips smelled like strawberries. Too much thinking, just kiss her. I took in the look of her eyes before she closed them, anticipating me to close the distance. I wasn't sure what that look was though, maybe nervousness? I didn't want to freak her out again and the thought of how she pushed me back from last time crossed my mind again. Just as I was about to connect our lips, I made the split second decision to go for her cheek. I only held my lips there for like 2 seconds, but even that was enough time to make my lips tingle. I swallowed thickly and pulled back as her eyes fluttered open. I waited for her to run off or something, but instead she smiled warmly up at me.

"Cheek?!" Quinn squealed in disappointment. "Does that even count?!"


	17. Chapter 17 The Nerve

A/N Sorry for the wait, first semester of college is finishing up which means here comes the finals ugh. Thanks for all the love on here and Tumblr. Let me know what you guys think! Enjoy ( :

* * *

CHAPTER 17

_5 Days Later;_

"Well, today's the day Q." I said from my spot at the kitchen counter as I dug my spoon into my cereal bowl. "How you feeling?" I knew Quinn was nervous about meeting with Noah for lunch today to talk about Bella just by how she kept pacing in the kitchen. She looked up at me with her lips pursed and shrugged.

"I-I don't even know, Britt." She sighed and came to rest her elbows on the counter. "I just don't know what to expect. I don't even know if I should let him meet Bella or not." I could see she had definitely been thinking long and hard about this, thinking of all possible outcomes that could happen. "Do I tell Bella that Pu..er Noah is her father?"

"I think that would be too much for a 4 year old to handle.." I cut in as she was about to go off in another tangent. "Introduce him as your friend..then maybe later on if he decides he wants to stick around you can tell her the truth?" I suggested. "But for now, I think it's best to just say he's your friend." Quinn nodded slightly then went back to pacing. "Q, you really don't need to be so nervous. Noah is a really good guy; seems super mature now from all the stories you told me yesterday about the _old _him. I really don't think you have anything to worry about." There was another long pause as I took a bite of my cereal. "Sam still going with you?"

"Huh?" She mumbled and looked up at me with empty eyes before blinking back and nodding. "Y-yeah, he said he's going to be like a chaperone or something." She replied with a tiny grin. "He doesn't want something bad to happen and not be there for me." I smiled into my next bite while Quinn slowed down her pacing then leaned on the counter again.

"Geez Q, can you just tell me already?" I groaned while tossing a smirk in her direction. She peeked up at me with her forehead wrinkled with confusion.

"Tell you what?" She asked with her eyes narrowed on me.

"That you and Sam are official now!" I laughed and watched as her cheeks flushed. "And don't tell me you aren't because I can totally tell you are."

"Wh-what? Why would you think that?" She stammered as her eyes searched the counter for something more interesting than my piercing eyes.

"First of all, you couldn't even look me in the eyes and say you're not." I teased as she still kept her eyes lowered. "You two are hanging out a lot more and by a lot I mean, I know he slept over at the Christmas party.." Quinn's face went completely red. "Oh don't be embarrassed, you're good for each other!" I said cheerfully as I reached a hand across the table to pat on her arm. "Really, it's about time." I shrugged in which she sent me a glare. "I'm just saying.."

"Don't get me started on you and Santana, Britt." She warned with a playful smile. "I can't believe she got you a present and you didn't even get her anything!" She laughed. I still felt really bad about that even though she didn't spend any money, I didn't have anything to give her in return. We specifically said no presents!

"Hey, I didn't forget..I just didn't want to buy her something and have her feel bad because she didn't get me anything." I countered with my arms folded over my chest.

"Always looking out for her feelings, aren't you?" Quinn teased then sent me a wink before walking off to her room. "I better get ready now. My _boyfriend_ will be picking me up soon." We both broke out in a fit of giggles at Sam's new title. "You should start getting ready too; don't you work in like an hour?" I looked over at the clock and quickly shot up from my seat to put my cereal bowl in the sink.

"Oh man, I haven't even showered yet." I sighed and started to walk in the direction of my room before spinning around to Quinn. "You picking up Bella from school or do you need me to do it?"

"I'll get her; I doubt we'll be talking _that _long." Quinn replied. I nodded then went to my room to get showered up and changed.

_At The Coffee Shop;_

It was a pretty easy day so far; I did a little more training with the new guy Jacob while Christy kept with the register. Jacob picked up on everything quickly, so I really didn't need to be there since the two of them could hold down the shop by themselves. It was hard to keep myself busy since there weren't that many customers at first and they didn't need my help with anything. It also made the day go by a little slower since it was Friday and Fridays were the days that Santana never came in. I sighed as my mind began filling with thoughts of the girl and the mistletoe kiss.

_Flashback Christmas Party;_

Santana had just left and while Sam was still helping clean, Quinn wasted no time in starting up with the teasing. I closed the door behind Santana, still feeling a little woozy from kissing her on the cheek. Isn't that crazy? I feel woozy just from a kiss on the cheek; she'll probably kill me once I make it to her lips!

"Brittany, come here.." Quinn said patting the seat of the stool next to her. "We need to have a little chat." I exhaled and dragged my feet over to her. Of course Quinn was going to start pestering me when the chance of kissing Santana's lips was right in front of me and I didn't take it.

"Okay, go ahead." I sighed. "Tell me how crazy I am for not taking the chance." I set my elbows on the kitchen counter and brought my chin to rest in my palms waiting for Quinn's lecture.

"On the cheek?" She breathed with shock. "She had her eyes closed, Britt, she _so_ wanted it!"

"Quinn..don't be too hard on her." Sam said over his shoulder to the frustrated blonde. "Britt's just making sure she doesn't cross any boundaries, right?" He grinned over to me and I nodded. It was crazy how right on Sam was about why I went for the cheek. What was even crazier was how Quinn's shoulders dropped a little at Sam's warning. Hm, Quinn never takes commands from anyone.

"I was going to go for lips, I really was, but I started thinking about last time.." I rambled then my voice grew quiet. "I-I just got scared.." I shrugged and hid my face in my hands. There was a long pause, well aside from the clinking of pots and pans Sam was dumping out, it was silent.

"Sorry B, I didn't mean to go all Lion Quinn on you." Quinn cooed and rubbed on my back soothingly. "I just don't want you taking her feelings too much in consideration that you get stuck in the friend zone."

"It's okay, Q." I replied and looked up from my hands to give her a smile. "I think I'm making progress with her though."

"You _think_ you are?" Quinn asked with a quirked eyebrow. I nodded and pulled out the song card that Santana had given me and slid it to her to look at. I watched as she read the card as her lips pulled into a grin. "Oh yeah, definite progress."

_Present Time;_

"Hey Brittany?" I heard Christy's voice call, pulling me out of my daydreaming.

"Yeah, what's up?" I asked walking over to her thinking that something might be wrong with the register or something.

"We're out of sleeves." She said pointing over to the empty container. "Do you want Jacob to get more?" I looked over at the younger guy who was currently busy with make the customers' drinks. I looked out and noticed how full the place got; how long have I been daydreaming?

"Uh, that's okay. I'll get it them, just take care of the customers." I replied and made my way to the back room. I always hated coming back here because even with the lights on, it was still a little dark and I hated being alone in the dark. Just thinking about what could be hiding back there freaks me out. I quickly grabbed the box of sleeves and jogged back out into the light to start refilling the container. I was probably searching around in the back for about 10 minutes but the line was already down to just 3 people while the rest of the shop only had a couple people scattered amongst the tables. I knew Jacob and Christy could take care of everything without me! I was over by the shelf with all the extra napkins and coffee stirrers refilling the sleeves when a familiar voice caught my attention.

"Hi, what can I get you?" Jacob's deep cheery voice rang out.

"I'll take one of her." A flirty voice said. I still had my back turned towards them, but I knew that pick up line sounded way too familiar. I looked over my shoulder to see Jacob's face brows furrowed and Christy's cheeks reddening. The customer wasn't facing me; all I saw was long wavy light brown hair. I turned back to finish filling the sleeves. I didn't know Christy was gay, but I didn't want to intrude if she liked having this girl hit on her. I concentrated on the sleeves when the next thing the brunette said made me whip my head back to their direction.

"You are one of the most gorgeous girls I've ever seen and I can tell by the way your cheeks turn a little pink when I do this.." I watched as she leaned even closer and I'm pretty sure she was giving Christy some type of seductive smile because Christy's cheeks went even pinker. "that you don't necessarily find me ugly." I quickly walked around the counter, keeping my eyes on the flirty brunette until I saw her face. Brooke.

"Just as I suspected." I said with my arms crossing over my chest as I tried my best to glare at the brunette. "So you use that line on all the girls? That's original." I said as I nudged Christy to go somewhere. "She's no good, Christy, and definitely don't look into her eyes. She'll turn you to stone." Brooke's eyes shifted to Christy one last time then back on me glaring.

"You have some nerve interrupting me like that." Brooke snapped, her voice frighteningly low.

"_I_ have some nerve?" I asked shocked. "You used the same pick up line on her that you used on me!" Brooke just shrugged and shifted her weight so that she was more leaning to the left.

"And you care because?"

"That girl is my friend and I will not let you ruin another girl's ability to love and be loved." I snapped. It was because of Brooke that I couldn't be with Santana, it was Brooke's fault that she couldn't let down her walls for me, and it was Brooke's fault that Santana was insecure.

"Something tells me that this isn't _just _about hot stuff over there." Brooke nodded over to Christy who was talking with Jacob but kept her eyes focused on me as her lips curled into a smirk. I suddenly felt super defensive and my skin felt like it was on fire, this time it wasn't because of embarrassment but rage. "I can tell by your silence that I'm right." She quirked an eyebrow up at me and kept that smug smirk on her face. "What's wrong, Brittany? Santana's not all that you thought she would be?"

"Santana is perfect." I answered sternly as I gripped the counter edge, hoping that I wouldn't jump over the and punching her in the face..again. I've never been a fighter, but for some reason just hearing the girl mention Santana had already gotten my blood boiling.

"Oh please, she's broken." She huffed with the roll of her eyes. "You're working at fixing something that's a lost cause, you're wasting your time."

"She's not a lost cause; she just needs someone who _actually_ cares about her." I replied and motioned to her. "Not some womanizer who constantly lets her down and makes her sad." Brooke huffed again and switched her weight to her other foot.

"What makes you think you could give her that? What makes you think she even would give you the time of day?" Brooke answered with her voice strangely sweet yet her eyes were burning holes into me.

"It really doesn't concern you anymore, Brooke." I looked up to see Santana walking over to me and Brooke. She walked around to stand off to the side to me as she folded her arms over her chest and stared down her ex girlfriend. "And it's really none of your fucking business what goes on with me and Brittany." Brooke eyed Santana then directed her gaze on me.

"You're an idiot if you think she's worth it." Brooke told me as she nodded to Santana with her eyes remaining on me the whole time. My skin was burning and I felt like smoke was spewing from my ears I was so angry.

"Santana is _so _worth it." I answered, not really caring that Santana was standing right next to me and hearing my inner most thoughts.

"Whatever you say, Brittany." She drawled and spun on her heels and walked off. I instantly felt my shoulders slump as the girl left, taking her aggressive energy with her. I couldn't get the image of her smug face out of my head. I just kept replaying her rude remarks that I forgot Santana was still standing next to me. I shook the thoughts away and tried to focus on why Santana was here on a Friday.

"So you think I'm worth it?" Santana asked as she grinned up at me. Suddenly the whole thing that happened with Brooke and all that rage in me disappeared when I saw her cheeks all bunched up.

"I do." I said quietly becoming unexpectedly shy. Trying to shift the attention off of me, I asked why she was here though it was a Friday.

"What? You don't want me visiting you?" She asked with her eyes narrowed on me and smirked.

"Well I-uhh-I"

"Calm down, Stutters, I'm actually off today and decided to stop by since I was in the area." She shrugged and playfully bumped me with her hip. "What am I going to drink today?"

"Mm, I got just the thing!" I said cheerfully, regaining my composure, and walked her to the register. "Jacob, get her a venti Gingerbread Latte." I told the cashier and nodded confidently at Santana. "It's so good, plus it's another seasonal drink so you have to enjoy it while it lasts!" She laughed at my enthusiasm as she paid. Minutes later, Christy handed her the drink.

"Hey Britt, thanks for getting that chick away from me." Christy said as Santana walked over to sit down at a table. "That was like really awkward for me, just so weird." I nodded to the girl and looked over to Santana sitting alone. "You can go sit with her for a bit if you want, me and Jacob can handle." She smiled and gestured for me to go sit with the Latina.

"Alright, just call me over if you need me." I smiled and went to sit with Santana. She had her drink to her lips as she smiled at me with her eyes when I sat down. "How is it?"

"Delicious!" Santana cheered after sipping a little more.

"Told you." I replied with a grin. "Oh! Bella loves the Pink Panther pajamas you got her for Christmas. She'd wear them every day if Quinn didn't make her change clothes." Santana rolled her head back laughing.

"That's adorable." She giggled and sat back further into her chair with her cup in her hand. There was a long pause, more of a comfortable pause though, it was nice. "Hey, that was really sweet what you did for Christy." I felt my cheeks heat up again as I looked over at her smiling at me. "Brooke is such a little whore."

"Yeah, I really didn't think she had the guts to come back here ever since our little fight we had." I shrugged hoping that the heat in my cheeks would vanish soon. "H-how much did you hear her say?"

"Enough." Santana huffed shaking her head at Brooke's words.

"I'm glad you showed up." I said without thinking. "I felt somewhat more eased when you were there." I added with a tiny smile. "I don't know why she gets me so flustered." I said shaking my head with my eyes lowered. I waited for Santana to say something, but she didn't. I looked up and saw her smiling at me, that kind of smile that something told me was just meant for me.

"Hey, what are you doing New Year's Eve?" She asked with hopeful eyes as she leaned a bit closer to me.

"Working." I sighed. "Noah's got this huge event going on at Showtimes and I've got to make sure the girls are on point for Rachel's big number at the countdown, or else she'd kill me. At lease Sam and Quinn are going to be there so I'm not completely bummed." The hope in Santana's eyes vanished making me regret what I had said. "Why, what are you doing?"

"Well my work is doing a huge event as well, they always plan them at some extravagant hotel where there's an open bar and what not." She shrugged. "It's usually pretty fun." Then she bit down on her bottom lip nervously before speaking again. "I was actually going to see if you wanted to go with me, like as my date.."

"As your date?!" I almost shrieked with excitement.

"Yeah, but you're working." She replied in a low voice that killed my happy mood immediately and made me wish that I wasn't working that night. Here's another missed chance, way to go! The universe is definitely against us or something. Now I feel a little sad. Is she going to go alone now? What if she takes another girl? Would it be wrong to be jealous? Maybe she won't go..but what if she does? I let out a sigh and looked down at the floor.

"Yeah..but I'm working.."


	18. Chapter 18 Firsts & Lasts

CHAPTER 18

_New Year's Eve..Eve?_

"Please Noah, I'm pretty much on my knees begging right now.." I groaned as I clasped my hands together, shaking them up at my boss with my lips pouted.

"Britt, I'm sorry but I need you to be here tomorrow." Noah shrugged. "I just can't.."

"This is like my _only_ chance with her, she asked me to be her date. Her DATE!" I huffed and dropped my hands to rest on my thighs as I sat back on my knees. "When am I going to get another chance like that?" I said quietly with my eyes lowered. "Never."

"I can almost guarantee that this New Year's Eve party won't be the last of your chances." He replied with a little chuckle at the end. I looked up at him with my brows furrowed. How could he be laughing at a time like this? I was so close to being Santana's date to a fancy party but I can't even go because of him.

"This is not a laughing matter.."

"Oh Brittany, I'm not laughing at _you_." He said in a reassuring voice. "More so the whole _situation_ actually." He laughed again and it made me confused. "Let's just say that _you_ aren't the only one that's been begging me to let you get the night off or at least go home early." The way he narrowed his eyes at me and smirked confused me even more.

"I don't get it.."

"Santana, Britt, I'm talking about Santana." He sighed. "She's been all over my ass trying to make me send you home early tomorrow night, but I keep telling her that it will be too busy and I need you here." He explained with all these crazy hand gestures. "She's very persistent too!" So Santana really wanted me to go to this party of hers? "She almost broke my arm when I told her 'no' the first time, but I said if she did she _definitely_ wasn't going to be helping you leave early." Wow so Santana _really really_ wanted me to go then. "I'm really sorry Britt because I know how much Santana means to you and all, but I just can't give you the night off.."

"Well what abou-"

"And I definitely can't send you home early either." I exhaled deeply and nodded in defeat. Well, it was worth a try. "I really need you to be here, Brittany, I'm sorry."

"Fine." I sighed, the sound of all my hopes and dreams shattering around me.

"I'll let you get back to practicing." He bowed and turned to leave me to sulk. I laid back on the floor trying to think of other ways around this, but I couldn't think of anything. Santana _had _to be at her company's party since she owned it and I _had_ to be at Showtimes or else I'd get fired. There was no hope in me leaving early, and I doubt Santana would try to come see me since the hotel the party will be at was on the other side of town and navigating the streets on New Year's Eve in New York was like a death wish. What to do, what to do?

"Hey Britt, what are you doing on the floor like that?" Kurt's cheery voice rang as he exited the dressing rooms to the open studio. "Yoga?"

"I haven't _even _seen Star Wars." I answered bluntly, too engaged in my thoughts to really process what was being said.

"Uhm..okay?" Kurt mumbled and sat down next to me on the floor. "You look like you're in some deep thought. You need to have some girl talk?" He asked smiling down at me with eyebrows raised. I could never turn down girl talk with Kurt especially when he smiled that elfish grin.

"It's Santana.."

"Of course.." He smiled then waved his hand out. "Go on.."

"So after everyone left the Christmas party, Quinn and Sam caught me and Santana under the mistletoe but I didn't want to kiss her on the lips because I tried that one time and she didn't want to because she thought it was too soon so I kissed her on the cheek but Quinn said that Santana's eyes were closed so that means she wanted a _real_ kiss but I missed my chance because I was too scared..'' I said in one breath while Kurt attempted to keep up with my rambling.

"Okay, so you tried to kiss her before the mistletoe incident?" He asked with his forehead crinkled. "But she didn't want to?" I nodded with a frown. "And that's why you didn't kiss her for real for the mistletoe kiss?" I nodded again. "Okay, makes sense. I see why you might've been a little skeptical. Go on."

"Well yesterday Brooke came into my work at The Coffee Shop-"

"Original name.."

"Yeah, I know but listen.." Kurt nodded smiling and zipped his lips. "So Brooke came in and started hitting on one of my coworkers and used the same exact pick up line that she used on me!" Kurt's eyes went wide as his jaw dropped.

"What a little whore!"

"Yeah, I know! But I walked over there and shooed my coworker away before it was too late. Then Brooke and I started arguing. She was saying some really messed up things about Santana, I didn't like it." Kurt nodded along while I started to go off track. "Anyway, Santana showed up, Brooke left, Santana asked me to be her date to her New Year's Eve company party.."

"And you're going right?" Kurt asked as his face lit up and he clapped with excitement. "RIGHT?"

"I can't, Noah won't let me off because we're going to really busy and Rachel's performance _has _to be perfect." Kurt's shoulders dropped at my reply. "That's how I felt too.."

"I can't believe that, I mean those girls are already perfect!" Kurt replied. "You do an excellent job at preparing them so there's really no need for you to be there." Kurt was shaking his head with frustration then laid back on the floor next to me. "Now I see why you were laying on the floor.." He sighed as he brought up the back of his hand to his forehead. "All this excitement is going to make my hair deflate." I started giggling and nudged him with my arm. He turned to look at me with a doe eyed grin. "What? It's true!" We laughed together until we turned silent, our minds continuing to work at a solution for this problem I'm facing.

"Kurt, I'm really sad now.." I pouted and turned to him. "I really wanted to go."

"Well Britt, I don't think you should worry about it too much." He said, rolling over to his stomach to rest his chin in his hands as he propped himself up on his elbows. "Things always have a crazy way of working out, especially on New Year's Eve." Now was his turn to nudge me. "Don't lose hope." I looked up at him with a toothy smile and threw an arm over his back and cuddled into him.

"I love girl talk with you Kurtie, you're the best!"

_New Year's Eve; _

"You sure you're alright with going?" I asked Quinn as she did my hair. "I mean, Noah's going to be there and all.." Quinn nodded at me through the mirror.

"It's totally fine, Britt, me and Noah talked things out." She said reassuringly as she kept a lock of hair twirled into the curling iron and looked at me in the mirror. "You're right, he _really_ did change. He seems very level headed and mature now, though he still has that little cockiness in his voice sometimes, he's different. A good different though." I was glad to hear things with Quinn and Bella's dad were okay, but I still wasn't sure if she was going to ask for child support now or even let Bella meet him.

"I told you he was a nice guy." I replied with a grin. "You had nothing to worry about." She rolled her eyes and nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, well he offered to start giving child support..I mean, if I need it." She said with her eyes lowered on my hair. Quinn and I never really talked about money when it concerned Bella because she almost always took care of it herself. Quinn isn't usually one to ask for help when it came to money though I was always willing to help if she needed it.

"And what did you say?"

"Uhm, I said I didn't really need it but if he wanted to buy her things then I wouldn't stop him. As long as they weren't extravagant presents, I don't want him trying to buy my daughter's love."

"Or spoiling her, that's my job." I winked at Quinn in the mirror making her laugh.

"Yeah, or that." She giggled.

"So you're going to let him meet Bella?"

"Mm, I haven't decided yet." She sighed and twirled the last pieces of my hair in the curling iron. "Sam said that I should invite him to Bella's birthday party where there would be a lot of people there and I could just introduce him to her like that."

"That's a good idea actually." I replied. "She wouldn't get all suspicious like if you introduced just him. So he wants to be included in her life?" I watched as Quinn licked her lips and hesitated before speaking.

"He said he wants to, that he's always had Bella in the back of his mind like wanting to be there for her and what not but he also knows that I'm very protective over her." She answered as she did a final spray of hairspray over my hair. "I offered to have him gradually come into Bella's life, then when she's old enough I'll tell her who he is."

"Wow." I sighed as I looked at myself in the mirror, admiring Quinn's work. "You could be a hairstylist." I said tilting my head from side to side. "But I'm really glad that all this with Bella's father and you are being worked out. I think it's cool that Noah is so understanding of this all and doesn't want to take away Bella away from us." Quinn nodded quietly. I knew having Noah take Bella away was one of her deepest fears and finally seeing that it wasn't going to happen was like this big weight off her shoulders. However, that didn't keep the frown from appearing on Quinn's lips. "Hey, come here." I cooed and pulled her into a hug. "No one is ever going to take Bells away, no one."

_2 Hours Later;_

"Well don't you all look fancy." Marley complimented with Bella in her arms as Quinn and I emerged from our rooms. Quinn and I looked at each other's outfits and nodded approvingly.

"Yeah, we're hot." I shrugged and bumped Quinn with my hip.

"Oh finally!" Sam said as he came from the bathroom fixing his bowtie. "You two take forever to get ready." He laughed and walked over to kiss Quinn on the cheek. "You're beautiful though." I smiled over at the new couple and instantly felt a little jealous. _They _get to be together on New Year's, I'm going to be there standing by myself watching everyone kiss like a lonely creeper.

"Britty, you're pretty too!" Bella squeaked as Marley walked over to hand me Bella who had her arms out for me. "Can I go with you guys?" She asked with a pout.

"Awh, thanks Peanut." I cooed and pecked her on the cheek. "And you can't, it's going to be very boring and plus who's going to keep Marley company?" Bella turned to look at Marley who was playing along by looking sad.

"Oh well, if it's going to be boring then I don't wanna go.." Bella said with a grin.

"Alright, we should get going now." Sam said as he walked over to grab his coat. "We better start walking before the crazy people start spilling on the streets." I looked over at him and nodded. Nothing's worse that trying to navigate through the tourists on the streets of New York on New Year's Eve.

"Come, Bella, say bye to me." Quinn said bending down to hug Bella goodbye before handing the little girl back to Marley. The three of us made our way downstairs and into the streets of the city. The air was crisp, especially when the wind blew. I dug my hands in the pockets of my tan pea coat and shrugged my shoulders to bury my face in my scarf while Sam and Quinn huddled together against the cold. I was happy that Quinn and Sam finally had each other, but seeing them together made me a bit jealous and the desire to go to Santana's party grew even more. Not going to lie, but I seriously thought about calling in sick or saying something like I broke my leg. I knew that Noah wouldn't believe me though; one, I'm not a very good liar and two, it would be very suspicious that I just so happened to be sick and have a broken leg on the night that I really really wanted off. I sighed and quickened my pace so that I wouldn't get too far behind the Fabrevans. Even if Santana and I weren't dating, I'd at least have someone to spend New Year's with. I had Quinn and Sam of course, but I didn't want to intrude on them doing their own thing.

"Hey Britt, get over here." Sam called over his shoulder with his free arm bent. I looked over at him smiling and looped my arm with his. "You're not going to be alone on New Year's."

"Yeah B, I can share for a bit." Quinn winked as the three of us walked arm in arm to Showtimes. Once inside, I directed them to the table I had reserved for the two then went back to the studio to shed my jacket and check in with all the dancers.

"Hey Britt, happy New Year's!" Kurt cheered and placed a gold and red glittery Happy New Year's headband on my head. "We can be twins now." He winked and pulled out his own head band and gingerly stuck it on. "How's my hair?"

"Full and voluptuous as always." I nodded and adjusted my own headband. "How's mine?"

"Blonde and beautifully curled." He grinned and narrowed his eyes on me. "Quinn really did all that?"

"Yup, my own personal stylist." I bragged playfully and heard Kurt laugh a little until he abruptly stopped and looked around him puzzled.

"You hear that?" He asked with an eyebrow raised. I looked around too and tried hard to hear.

"What is it? Crickets?" I asked and started to follow him as he walked around. He looked over his shoulder and giggled. "Not crickets?"

"No, Britt." He laughed and stopped in front of my jacket. "Oh, it's your phone.."

"Ohh.." I mumbled and dug into my jacket pocket and pulled out my cell and saw the screen was lit with a new message. "Oh, it's a text from Santana! Maybe she's leaving her party early to come here!" I squealed with excitement while Kurt urged me to open the text as he leaned over me to see what it said.

_Santana: Hey, this party is so lame w/o a date. Rlly wish u could've gone.. but Happy New Year's, Britt. Hope ur performances go well, I kno it will if ur in charge! ( ; _

"Awh, she misses you!" Kurt cooed and poked me in the side. I reread the message but didn't see anything that said she did.

"How do you even know?" I asked still searching the message. "She didn't type that.."

"Really, Britt?" He laughed and pointed at my screen. "She said she really wishes you could've gone. That basically means I miss you in Santana language, actually any person language really." I pressed my lips together feeling giddy all of a sudden. I read the message again and again and each time I got even happier.

"Damn that Noah for making me be here.." I said shaking my head. "Should I text her back?"

"Uh, yeah!" Kurt exhaled. I laughed and went to type out a reply.

_Brittany: I rlly wish I could go too! / : but have fun, drink something sweet for me! & Happy New Year's also_

"Alright, well enough of that." Kurt clapped and started to walk into the dressing rooms. "Her majesty needs clothes and I hope that Sugar's done with doing her make up by now, show's going on in an hour!" I watched as Kurt scampered off leaving me alone with all my happy thoughts of Santana. Well they were sort of bittersweet; happy because she misses me but sad because I couldn't be with her. I sighed and turned on so music to dance off some of my emotions as well as the nerves. Though I've had Santana on my mind most of the time theses past couple days, I didn't forget that this performance just before the countdown would be one of my most elaborate routines I had ever done. It also didn't help that the place was packed tonight since Noah advertised how great our performances were going to be for tonight's festivities. So no pressure, right? I closed my eyes and let the music control my body.

Before I knew it I had already danced for about 15 minutes. "Oh, hey guys!" I said as I spun around to see half of the dancers stretching out behind me. "Ready for tonight?" I scanned their faces as everyone nodded with excitement. "Great! Tonight's performances are going to be awesome! I can totally feel it." I said and lined everyone up to get started on rehearsing one last time before sending them on stage with Rachel. "Kurt? Is Rachel done, I need her to practice with the girls." I called into the dressing room and waited for an reply.

"Yeah, I'm kicking her out now." Kurt answered. "Come on Sugar, let's watch!" He said and tugged on the girl's arm as they followed Rachel out to the studio.

"Alright, let's take it from the top!" I said and walked over to start the music. I hit play and walked around the group, making sure everyone was on point and that there weren't any missteps. So far everyone was looking flawless, even Rachel seemed to be nailing all the movements. We went through about 3 out of the 5 routines before Kurt came over saying that the first performance would be in 5 minutes. I stopped the music and gathered everyone in our ritual "Star Power Circle" as Rachel liked to call it. "Okay guys, I have complete faith in all of you. Everyone's going to dance their asses off and the people are going to love it!" I said enthusiastically as I pushed a hand forward and watched as the other dancers' hands collapsed on top of mine. "You guys got this!" Rachel said another few words before we all shot our hands up cheering. Half the dancers followed Rachel out on stage while I walked over to Sam and Quinn's table.

"Hey Britt, got you a !" Quinn said and pushed the drink towards me. I smiled down at her and sipped on the drink as I leaned against the side of their booth so I didn't block their view.

"How were they back there? Nervous?" Sam asked as the dancers lined up on the stage around Rachel.

"They're probably nervous, but we've practiced the routines hundreds of times already." I shrugged. "They could probably do these steps in their sleep by now." We all set our eyes on the stage as Rachel started singing and the band started playing the music that I had choreographed the routine to. Everyone was doing great and Rachel sounded amazing, definitely nothing to worry about.

"Wow Britt, you choreographed all that?" Quinn exhaled with wide eyes. "That was ridiculously good, I knew you were a great dancer but damn! That was crazy!" I laughed down at Quinn who I could tell had a little buzz going, Quinn could never hold her alcohol very well.

"Yeah Britt, good think you turned down that stripping gig!" Sam teased with a lopsided grin. "This stuff is definitely more you." I smiled down at him and ruffled his shaggy blonde hair.

"You guys.." I cooed bashfully and leaned off of the booth to check on Kurt. "I'll be back." I made my way to the dressing rooms where Kurt was frantically running around making sure that all the dancers had on the right costumes. "Woah Kurt, slow down.." I said with my hands raised. "You're making me a little dizzy with all your swift movements." Kurt laughed and slowed down just a tiny bit.

"The last performance is coming up now, I have to ready the costumes for the second half of the dancers." He huffed and threw some sparkly head dress into the waiting hands of one of the dancers.

"Well do you need any help?" I asked, looking around at all the mess of clothes.

"Nope, I got it." He said with a smile. "Go out and enjoy the performance, the countdowns coming up too!"

"Ugh, don't remind me.." I drawled out and kicked at the floor. "I actually might just stay back here for that part, watching all the couples kiss might make me cry." Kurt pouted at me and went to pull me into a tight squeeze.

"Who knows, Britt, maybe someone out there will sweep you off your feet!" Kurt said as he pulled away. "Like I said, New Year's Eve has a funny way of working things out.."

"I don't want just _someone _though, I want Santana." I grumbled. "Why does the universe hate me?" Kurt rubbed at my arm comfortingly and smiled.

"Hey, nobody said it was easy."

"Well nobody said it would be this hard.." We both stared up at each other and busted out laughing.

"Yeah, that _just _happened.." Kurt said through a breathy laugh.

"That was perfect!" I answered still weak from laughter. "If you weren't such a fantastic unicorn and if Blaine wasn't out there right now, I'd totally want you to be my New Year's kiss!"

"Yea- wait, Blaine's out there?" Kurt asked frantically. "He said he was working!"

"Crap, maybe that was supposed to be a surprise." I sighed and brought my hand to my forehead. "You never heard me say that, I take it back!" He laughed sucked the words back into my mouth like Ana Faris did on House Bunny. "Lucky you, you even have someone to be with on New Year's!" I groaned. "Well I'm just gunna watch the last of the performance and sulk, bye." I sighed and stomped back out to the floor to Sam and Quinn's table.

"What's wrong, B?" Quinn asked when she saw me approaching with a pout on my face.

"Nothing." I sighed and turned to watch the end of the performance. Sadly I came out just in time for all the big screens to switch to the live showing of the ball drop as the timer set for 1 minute. All of a sudden I really wanted to just hide in the studio and dance my night away, alone. I looked out as people started to get up and dance, even Sam and Quinn left. It was like everywhere I looked I saw a couple. Some not even romantically involved, but even a friend would do right now. I went to stand in front of one of the tv screens as far away from the majority of people as possible as I watched the timer expire. We were down to 30 seconds now and I could see everyone starting to pair up as they huddle in front of the tv screens, chanting the rest of the numbers. I crossed my arms over my torso and wondered what Santana would be doing right now. I wonder if she was feeling the same way I am. Did she go and seclude herself like I'm doing? I wish I would've grabbed my phone before coming out here, I could've called her or something as the ball dropped. That's kind of like being with each other, right? I looked up at the screen; 15 seconds now. I let out a sigh, so much for ending the year with a ba-

"Brittany?"

I spun around to see Santana about 3 feet away from me. She looked like she had been running; her hair all frazzled about and her black pea coat unbuttoned showing off her tight light grey dress. I blinked multiple times trying to see if I was dreaming or if Santana was _really _standing in front of me.

"What are yo-" I tried to speak, but before I could even process it, she was rushing over to me. I saw the determination in her eyes the closer she got until her hands were on my cheeks. Her fingertips were cold against my warm skin as she cupped my face with both hands and crashed our lips together. Everything turned to slow motion after that. The sensation of finally having her lips on mine was indescribable. The softness was a million times better than I would ever have imagined and her lips tasted minty only causing me to wonder even more if she had a habit of losing her chapsticks since this would be the third time her lips were a different scent. My whole body tingled as she pushed one of her hands to tangle into my hair and deepened the kiss. At first I was frozen, but before I could even touch her, she dropped her hands and pulled back. Her eyes were sparkling and her cheeks were bunched up in one of the cutest smiles I'd ever seen.

"Sorry, I'm a bit early." She said through a smile and nodded up at the screen. I followed her gaze and saw that the countdown was just now starting at 10. Who knew that kiss only lasted 5 seconds! "Wanted to make sure you were the last.." All I could do was smile at her; she took the words right out of my mouth. Well more like _kissed _the words out of my mouth. This was the confident Santana that first drew me to her. The loud chanting of the club brought me out of my haze as I saw Santana smiling as we both started to join in the count down.

"5."

"4."

"3."

"2."

This time it was me who initiated the kiss. No hesitance, no second guess, no last minute switches. I grinned as I pressed my lips into hers; taking in her bottom lip between mine, then threw my arms around her neck and pulled her into me. Her hands made their way up my sides then slid to rest on the small of my back as our lips worked together. All the cheers and the sound of Rachel singing Auld Lang Syne seemed to fade out as the pounding of my rapid heartbeat echoed in my ears. This was what made all that painful waiting worth it, all the buildup, witnessing the hurt she's had to go through, the walls that I had to tear down one brick at a time; all of it was worth it just for this moment. This was the kiss that I needed to make sure all my efforts weren't for nothing. I was so completely overwhelmed with happiness, I just wanted to keep her lips on mine forever. This was _my_ time to shine, I thought, finally. In need of air, I reluctantly pulled back but kept Santana in my arms still enjoying the fact that I could do that now without her pushing me away. I smiled down at her as we looked deeply into each other's eyes before I finally broke the staring contest.

"And I wanted to make sure I was your first."

* * *

A/N Hope this chapter made up for all that Bram nonsense going around. Like I said, Brittana is always endgame here! ( ; Let me know!


	19. Chapter 19 The Final Step

A/N Sorry the chapter's not as long, I rather give you guys something rather than nothing. Expect something a bit longer for tmrrw, I've got more finals but hopefully I can update before the new episode. I will be updating though, guaranteed. I know a lot of us are going to be feeling pretty low, but I hope I can make things a little more bearable. ( ; Keep up with the reviews, always nice seeing what you guys think!

* * *

CHAPTER 19

_Later That Night;_

It was dark, like super dark, so dark that I couldn't even see my hand if I held it out in an inch from my face. I didn't like this, I hate the dark. I couldn't tell where I was sitting; home, Showtimes, Santana's? I looked side to side but saw nothing but darkness. My feet were bare so I slid my foot along the floor, carpet. I spread my hands out a bit by my sides feeling a cool silky material. I swallowed thickly as my heart race skyrocketed. Could I be sitting on a- I did a little bounce in place and my assumptions were accurate. A bed, I am sitting on a bed. Not my bed though, I don't have soft silky sheets.

Where the hell am I? I ran my hand over my stomach and found that I was still in my dress from tonight. That was a good sign, right? I couldn't remember how I got here or where _here _even was, but I did not like it. There wasn't any chance that I could've blacked out from drinking because all I had was all night, I think? Crap, I don't remember. I wanted to get up, but I was afraid of what could be hiding in the darkness so I just stayed still. Just then, a match was lit. The light of the flame didn't illuminate much but what I did see relieved me.

"Santana?" I whispered and watched as she went to light a few candles on what looked like her dresser then walked beside me to light two more at her night stand. She looked at me seductively when she blew out the match then walked over to the dresser that was in front of me with her back turned. "Is this your room? H-How-When did we get here?" I stammered a little frightened that all I could remember was the kisses we shared at the countdown, but at the same time she looked so hot being all mysterious like that. I looked to her for answers, but she didn't speak. Just as I was pushing myself off the bed to turn her around, she stepped to me and gently pushed me back down with one finger.

"Stay." She said huskily. I never heard that tone from her, but I was definitely not complaining. I rested back on my forearms, my heart pounding at in my ears, as she leaned into me, her right leg strategically placed between mine that were hanging off the edge of the bed. I looked into her eyes and saw pure desire. "I'm going to make you feel good, you want that?" Do I want that? What kind of question is that? I want her to make me feel good every hour of every day, on lunch breaks, just before I go to work, once I get home, before dinner, after dinner, in the shower, before bed, in bed.. "Are you listening, Britt-Britt?" She asked and laid soft kisses along my jaw up to my ear. "Do you want that?"

"Every day for the rest of my life!" I choked out, feeling incredibly aroused now. She pulled away from my ear and pressed her lips into mine. I would never get tired of how soft they were or how sweet they tasted, never.

"Good." She husked and leaned back to slide out of her dress leaving her in just her bra and panties. I licked my lips when I saw all the new exposed skin, the want to kiss every part of her body growing. My eyes followed along her toned legs to the contours of her abs then up to her breasts that begged for release from their harnesses. I looked up and saw the smirk on her face as she stood between my legs. She hadn't even begun to touch me yet, but already was I super turned on. "Looks like you're a little over dressed, we should fix that." She said and ran her hands up my thighs that were partially covered by my dress.

"Y-Yeah, fix that.." I stammered and stood up so that we were practically an inch apart. I went to pull my straps down, but she stopped me.

"I'll do it." She said and began undressing me herself while I just stood there and mentally recorded everything that was happening, like a mental sex tape! Now we were both only in our bras and panties. I watched as her hand reached out to trace my toned stomach then dragged her nails against my skin. Her touches were sending shivers through my body, but at the same time I needed her like right _now_. "You okay? You're looking a little.._frustrated_." Her hand slid further down slowly until she was cupping my sex. I shuddered at the touch and almost fell into her, but, with a sudden rush of confidence, I dropped down a little and grabbed onto the backs of her thighs then hoisted her up.

"Who knew you were such a tease." I mumbled as her hands cupped my cheeks as she stared down at me with such lust in her eyes. She crashed our lips together in a needy kiss.

"Mm, Britt.." She moaned into my lips as I ran my tongue along her full bottom lip. I couldn't decide what was turning me on more; having her core rubbing against my stomach as I held her, the way she was taking control of the kiss, or the fact that Santana was the one in my arms right now doing all of that. "Bed, Britt, now." She pulled back slightly; her hands now entangled in my hair, and trailed kisses on my jaw as she spoke. I didn't hesitate as I spun around and laid her down on the bed gently. She moved her arms to wrap around my neck as I slipped my hands underneath her and dragged her closer to the headboard so that I was completely hovering over her. Her hands glided away from my neck down to my sides, her fingertips tickling along my ribcage, as I straddled her thighs. I dipped down to capture her lips between mine again as her hands started moving lower and lower on my stomach.

"San.." I hummed when I felt her fingers curl into the waistband of my panties. Our kisses got deeper as I started to rock against her legs, desperately in need of some type of friction. She smirked into my lips then all of a sudden she was flipping me over on my back.

"I wanna top." She husked and adjusted her thigh to hit at all my sensitive nerves. I rolled my head back at the new sensation, lips parted and eyes shut as Santana began rocking into me. The more she moved, the harder it was to keep my breathing even.

"Mm, San.."

"Britt.."

"S-San.."

"I'm gunna make you scream, baby."

"Sh-shit, _oh_, San.."

"Britt."

I was close, so so close. I felt the tightness in my abdomen and I knew I wouldn't last any longer. Everything was turning blurry though and I started to wonder if I was about to pass out from being so turned on. Then everything turned black again. No candle light and no Santana, just darkness.

"BRITT, WAKE UP!"

No, this is not happening! I blinked my eyes a couple times trying to see who was yelling at me, because that definitely wasn't Santana's voice.

"Wow, sex dreams already?" Quinn laughed and poked at my flushed cheek. A dream? Are you kidding me? That was really I tell you, real!

"Oh come on, Quinn!" I groaned and threw the blankets over my head. "I was so close, Q! You don't even understand how _close_ I was.."

"Yeah, and I'm pretty sure I don't want to know just how _close_ you were." Quinn teased.

"Now I'm going to be all sexually frustrated for the rest of the day because of you.." I heard her laugh then she tugged the covers off of my head.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt." She teased with a smirk. "I wanted to make sure that you were up in time for work. Plus, I made breakfast!"

"I don't want pancakes, I want Santana!" I huffed.

"Well my pancakes don't want you either then!" She threw a toothy grin over her shoulder as she skipped out. I sighed and threw the covers back over my head in utter frustration. I've never had such a vivid dream like that; I swore that it was real! Well, I guess I'll be taking a _super_ long shower today.

_Later That Morning;_

I propped my chin up on hands as I leaned on the counter on my elbows. I felt like a mindless zombie as I did my best to listen to Christy tell me the orders for the drinks I would be making, but ever since that dream I had a really hard time concentrating on anything. 12:45 couldn't come sooner enough because I really needed to see Santana, like _now_. I still couldn't believe that it was just a couple nights ago that Santana's lips first met mine in probably one of the greatest kisses I've ever received.

"Britt, did you get that?" Christy asked with an empty cup in her hand. "Vanilla Bean Frap." I nodded and began making the drink, taking peeks up at the clock, counting down the minutes that I'd get to see Santana again. Only 20 more minutes, but that was 19 minutes too long. I sighed and went back to making the drinks as Christy handed me cups, almost feeling robotic as I tried my hardest to concentrate on anything but Santana. I capped the cup and slid a sleeve onto it as I read the name.

"Vanilla Bean Frap for Jessa." I called and watched as a tanned skin girl with long black hair stepped forward smiling. Yeah, she was pretty and kinda looked liked Santana but it definitely wasn't the same as having the real Santana here.

"That's me." She answered with a grin and reached for the drink. I noticed her eyes were the lightest of browns as she stared up at me. "Wow, you have some really pretty blue eyes." She complimented. I couldn't tell if she was trying to flirt or if it was just a simple compliment, either way I smiled back and nodded.

"Thanks." I replied and nudged the drink to her as she sort of waited for me to talk more or something. "I was just looking at how light your eyes are. It's weird because usually people with tan skin and dark hair have such deep brown eyes, but yours are pretty." I didn't mean for that to sound flirty or anything, it was just an observation but by the way she smiled up at me and how her eyes seemed to shimmer said that she took it as flirting.

"Awh, thanks!" She cooed and went to lean further over the counter to me."Hey, I know this is sort of strange but I'm new to the city and I was wondering if you knew any good restaurants close by?" Just then I heard the bells of the entrance door clink and saw Santana strolling in all her sexy glory. Just seeing those tanned legs from under her black skirt brought me right back to my dream this morning. Why does she torture me with such tight, form fitting skirts?! She smiled over at me and waved as she walked over to stand in line.

"Uh, well there's a Breadstix a few blocks down the street." I answered realizing that I'd been staring at Santana too long that I'd forgotten about this Jessa person. "It's pretty good, you like Italian?"

"Love Italian!" she cheered and stepped closer to me. I looked up to see Santana staring at this girl questioningly but then the more Jessa giggled and smiled at me, the more Santana's eyes narrowed. "Too bad I have no one to go with.." She sighed and looked off to the right almost longingly like she was waiting for me to jump in a volunteer myself to accompany her, but I was too busy enjoying Santana glaring at this girl. Jessa was definitely flirting now as she went in on me with compliments, each one sending Santana to roll her eyes or huff in annoyance until she finally had enough and was stomping over.

"Yeah, well that's not _this_ one's problem." Santana said with a smirk and narrowed eyes as she nodded at me. Jessa looked seriously frightened at the Latina's presence as she began biting on her lip nervously. "Now run along for'z it getz real in here." I watched as Santana crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her head to the side as Jessa grabbed for her drink and did as she was told. I felt a little bad for the girl, but something told me that no one wanted to see Santana pissed. But still, I couldn't help but smile at how defensive she was being. I mean, who really took Santana seriously when she tried talking all gangsta like that. I honestly thought it was cute, but I doubt that was the look she was going for.

"Someone's jealous." I mumbled as Santana continued to stare after the girl, her back towards me. She spun and smiled sweetly up at me.

"Who, me?" She asked innocently as she brought her palm to her chest. "Nahh, not me." We both giggled as we kept our eyes focused on each other's, this was the first time since we've really seen each other since the kiss. There was a new kind of atmosphere now, I liked it.

"Hi." I smiled, breaking our silence.

"Hi." She replied with a just as goofy grin that I probably had on my face. Suddenly her confidence from before seemed to vanish as she started fiddling with her hands. "Uh-How are you?" She asked in a shaky breath. Since when does she ask that? We never start conversations like that, she must be really nervous about something.

"Mm, good." I replied, confused at why she was shy all of a sudden. "What about you?"

"Great, I'm great." She smiled and nodded reassuringly.

"That's good." I said and watched at how she wringed out her hands, like a nervous twitch for her. Usually it was me being all shy and quiet, but this time it was Santana who wasn't so confident. It was certainly different. "Oh, you're here for coffee. What are you in the mood for today?" I asked, trying to get her to relax a bit then started to walk around to behind the counter. I felt her slender fingers wrap around my forearm, stopping me from taking another step away from her.

"Oh, I'm not here for coffee today." She said to the floor then lifted her head up to smile at me. She removed her hand as I turned to face her with my forehead wrinkled with confusion. "Ask me on a date, Britt." She said somewhat confidently.

"Wh-what?" I stammered not sure if what I heard was correct.

"A date, I think it should be you who asks first." She replied. I didn't understand her reasoning for me being the one to ask but I didn't doubt it, I'm sure there was meaning behind it for her. Maybe it was her way of completely moving on from Brooke, like if she agreed to someone asking her on a date it would validate her moving on. It was like the last step in the process in the end of Brooke's control over her life. I licked my lips then pressed them together as I tried thinking about what was happening.

"Are you sure?" I asked lightly trying to read the look in her eyes.

"Definitely." She said with a nod. Now I realized why she was so nervous, all this excitement was nerve racking. "We just have to take things super slow though."

"I'm fine with that; I'm not in any rush." I answered and reached across the counter and rubbed gently at the back of her hand. Her skin was always so smooth beneath my fingers, I could barely wait for the day that I'd actually have the chance to feel _all_ of her skin. But slow, we're taking things slow.  
"Well, Miss Lopez, would you like to go out on a date with me?" I asked sweetly and batted my eyes. She giggled at my silliness and nodded.

"I would love to."

"Great, so how's Friday night, maybe around 7?"

"Perfect!" She announced happily.

It took nearly 2 and a half months for things to finally start going with Santana. I endured all the times she vented to me about Brooke, resisting the need to reach out and hold her in my arms. I stuck by her side through all the bad times she faced. I waited patiently for her to realize that her relationship with Brooke wasn't going to get better. And now, after 2 and a half months, it was _my_ turn to show her what she's been missing out on, happiness.

"Well, since I'm the asker of this date.." I began in my matter-of-factly voice. "I have a few rules."

"Like what?" She asked curiously with her head cocked to the side.

"Well, I will be needing your address because the askers always pick up their dates." I replied with a smile. "Not have them come by their apartment because they suck at following directions."

"But Britt, you don't drive.."

"I _do_ drive, I'll just be super careful especially if I'm going to be using Quinn's car."

"But I don't want you to get lost.." She tried reasoning but I was strict when it came to my asker rules.

"I won't. I'll get Quinn to drive me around first so that I can pick up on some scenic landmarks before our actually date. Plus she as a GPS!" I replied confidently. "I mean, how embarrassing would it be to be late picking you up because I got lost?" We both laughed before I continued with my rules. "Also, I _will _be paying. You might as well leave your purse at home, because you won't be spending a single nickel."

"I don't like these rules.." Santana whined but kept a smile on her face.

"Well, there's only those two that I can think of so far." I answered. "Lucky you."

"Oh, thank God." She playfully groaned before grinning up at me. "I can't wait for this date now!" She squeaked. "It'll be so much fun!"

"Yeah, I can finally charm the pants off you." I replied innocently with excitement, but her cheeks just went red as her eyes turned dark again. She snickered to herself mostly then muttered under her breath.

"Just wanky."


	20. Chapter 20 First Date

CHAPTER 20

_Friday;_

"Alright, Britt, pay attention." Quinn said as we pulled out on to the streets of the city. Like promised, Quinn was attempting to show me the way to Santana's house so later when I drove alone I wouldn't get lost. However, I had been texting Santana pretty much the whole morning and she was always super distracting when it came time for me to concentrate.

_Santana: I kno, Im so excited too! Can I at least get a hint on where ur takin me? _

I stared down at my screen smiling; she's been begging me for hints for the past hour. I thought about giving in, but knowing me, I'd probably give away too much and the surprise wouldn't really be a surprise anymore. So no, no hints. I settled back into my seat and quickly typed out another text.

"Britt.." Quinn warned. "Focus." I looked up to see her narrowing her eyes at me because I kept texting so I quickly typed out a reply then set the phone I my lap and straightened up.

_Brittany: Nope, no hints :p That's cheating.._

"Okay-Okay, I am." I nodded and set my eyes on the road trying to memorize the route. I took notice of that weird looking tree that looked like a lollipop at the corner of this one street that Quinn turned down where all the buildings were either red or white. "Okay, lollipop tree and candy cane buildings. Got it."

"You should really learn the street names instead, B, I think that would be much easier for you to remember." Quinn suggested as we came to a stop light. Remembering a whole bunch of names for streets that almost looked identical? I think I'll stick with scenic landmarks instead. I felt my phone vibrate in my lap and fought hard against seeing what Santana had said. I need to focus on remembering the way, not texting. The car accelerated as Quinn drove down another road. I took note of the giant super colorful ice cream shop that was on the right and memorized the look of that one beat up dumpster with 'Endgame' spray painted on the side.

"Okay, ice cream and graffiti. Got it." I said out loud and tried to ignore my phone vibrating again. I snuck a peek over at Quinn who's eyes were glued to the road and decided I could just _read_ what Santana said and not reply.

_Santana: That's no fun..I guess I can wait. ( ; _

_Santana: Oh, Kurt's here. He says 'Hi' & that you guys need to have another 'girl talk'. _

I was set on just reading the text, but Kurt said 'Hi' to me, I couldn't just ignore him like that. So I took the chance of Quinn catching me texting again and typed out a reply.

_Brittany: Ur gunna HAVE to wait cuz no hints! ;D & tell my unicorn I said 'hi' back & I'll talk to him soon._

I smiled at sending the text then looked up to see that I had been caught.

"Do I have to take your phone away?" Quinn teased. "I'm doing this for you, if you get lost tonight it'll be your fault." I frowned because she was right; I needed to pay attention.

"Right, sorry.." I mumbled and sent one last text out before putting my phone away completely so I wouldn't be tempted again.

_Brittany: Q's getting mad at me bcuz she's tryin to show me the way to your house but ur distracting me again so ttyl ( :_

"Alright Q, I'm focused." I said and straightened up in my seat when I realized we were parked.

"Yeah, well we're here already so you're a tad late." She laughed as she watched me stare up at this super nice looking apartment that could very well be a 5 star hotel. There was even a door man standing out front! After admiring the beauty of Santana's apartment building, I realized that all I remember was turning down 2 different streets but no idea what happened in between. Crap! I'm going to get lost again.. "It's okay B, just pay more attention on the way back home." Quinn said and turned the car around.

"Okay, this time I'm memorizing everything!" I answered sternly as I looked out at the street in front of us with pure determination. Tonight is the night that I break my record of always getting lost while going to new places. I mean, I have Quinn showing me now plus I've got the GPS for later. No way could I get lost!

_2 Hours Till The Date;_

I spent the majority of the afternoon making sure all the arrangements I made for later were all in order. Thank God Mike's parents own one of the fanciest Chinese restaurants on this side of town and offered to give me a discount! I mean, I still had money left over from my Christmas bonus so I could afford dinner without the discount but I'd never turn down a discount. Especially since that restaurant is super expensive, all the big names go there. Mike even told me that he seated Naya Rivera and Heather Morris once; it was like the greatest moment of his whole life. I even pulled a few strings so that I could reserve the same booth that they sat at!

I was waiting for Quinn to come do my makeup and start on my hair when I heard some yelling. "Britty!" I heard Bella squeal as she did a running jump into my lap.

"Oof, hi Peanut, you're getting heavy." I answered as she got settled and began looking at all the makeup set out on the bathroom counter. "You going to help mommy do my makeup?" I asked and wrapped my arms around her little body as she went for some blush.

"Can I?" She asked with pleading eyes and a dropped jaw as she started separating different colors of eyeshadows and blushes. "I'll use this color and this one and this color and that one of there. You're going to look so pretty!" I smiled at all the colors that she had pulled out, taking notice that they did not look well together, but still loved that Bella wanted to help.

"Mm, how about we let your mommy pick the colors first?" I said as I tugged her away from the counter and back into my chest.

"Oh, okay!" She replied cheerfully. "Why you getting all dressed up? Is there another party like last time?" I assumed she was referring to New Year's Eve and shook my head.

"I've got a date, babycakes!" I said happily. Bella's eyes went wide and a big smile spread across her face.

"With Sanny?!" She asked and kneeled on my thighs as she searched my eyes for an answer.

"Mhm." I answered confidently. I still couldn't believe that I was taking Santana Lopez out on a date, so surreal.

"Yay! Now you can be girlfriends and get married and have a whole bunch of cute babies that I can play with!" She was bouncing with excitement while I was trying hard to not choke on my air. Marriage? Babies? Bella was already thinking _way_ ahead and Santana and I aren't even together yet.

"well first I've got to make sure this is a super awesome date so that she'll want to go on another date and _then_ we can be girlfriends.." I said and bopped the little girl on the nose as she smiled up at me, eyes filled with such happiness.

"Okay, found it!" Quinn said as she strolled into the bathroom holding some pink eyelash curlers. "Hey baby, you gunna help me make Britt pretty?" She asked the little girl as she stood behind me and looked at us through the mirror.

"Britty's already pretty.." Bella said matter-of-factly. I grinned at the little blonde and pulled her to me again in a tight hug then pressed a wet kiss to the side of her cheek.

"Well we're going to make Britt even prettier!" Quinn replied, smiling at her daughter's kindness.

_An Hour and a Half Later;_

"Okay, remember how to get there?" Quinn asked as I slipped on my heels and did a last look over in my stand up mirror. I couldn't tell whether I was more nervous than excited or more excited than nervous, either way I was trembling. I inhaled and exhaled deeply trying to get a hold of myself before I start having some sort of panic attack.

"Uhm, yeah!" I nodded at Quinn through the mirror. "Lollipop tree, candy cane buildings, ice cream, and graffiti. See? Still got it." Quinn looked at me skeptically then shrugged.

"Alright, well I've got Santana's address already programmed in the GPS just in case and you can give me a call too if you need." I looked at myself in the mirror still trying to keep calm and did my best to seem cool and collected to my best friend. Then again, Quinn always could see right through me. "Oh come here, B, you're not going to get lost. Plus, it's Santana we're dealing with. I'm sure you can find your way to her by just following her scent." Her tone turned lighter as she finished with a giggle and squeezed on my shoulders.

"Santana really does smell nice though.." I mumbled, totally dismissing the point Quinn was trying to make. "But I don't think it's that strong to the point where I could follow it from here." She smirked up at me and shook her head before pulling me into a hug.

"Come on, crazy, I'll walk you down." She said as she threw me my jacket and purse. "Don't want you making a bad impression on you guys' _first _date." She winked and walked out into the living room where Bella was sitting on the floor coloring. "Wanna walk Britt down with me, Bella?" Bella looked up at Quinn then at me then made a break for her shoes and jacket as she sprinted to Quinn's arms. "So I take that as a yes then." Quinn laughed and picked the girl up in her arms. "Alright Britt, got everything?"

"Yes, mom.." I whine playfully and skipped out the room so Quinn could lock the door. The walk downstairs was quick and before I knew it Quinn and Bella were already giving me my last wishes of good luck before I hopped into the car.

"Have fun!" Quinn called while Bella waved at me.

"Tell Sanny I said 'hi'." Bella said sweetly as I nodded to her. I settled into the car and buckled up. I griped the steering wheel tightly with both hands trying to remember the order of the landmarks.

"Wait, flowers! I should get her flowers!" I said to myself and began driving in the direction of the closest florist. "I wonder what kind of flowers she would like." I thought as I scanned the rows of different bouquets. "Not roses, everyone gets roses." I looked down another row of different bundles, but nothing was really catching my- "Wait, I want these." I thought, stopping in front of a bouquet of sunflowers. I've always loved sunflowers, but I wasn't sure if Santana would like them too. Then again, maybe giving her something that I liked would mean something special, like I could just keep the flowers for myself because I like them so much but instead I wanna give them to her. "Excuse me." I said politely as a older woman walked by in a dark green apron. "How much are these?"

"Uh $30." I gulped. I haven't really ever bought flowers for someone therefore I didn't know if that was a normal price for a bouquet of flowers.

"Woah, really?" I asked innocently as I inspected the bundle. "30 bucks for flowers?" The woman nodded sympathetically. "I really wasn't expecting to pay that much.."

"Yeah, they're out of season that's why the price is so high." He explained with a small grin. I felt myself beginning to pout so I quickly licked my lips instead. "But maybe I could help you find something different, what's the occasion if you don't mind me asking?"

"Mm, it's for a date." I answered timidly. "A-uh-first date to be exact." The woman smiled up at me kindly.

"Well she must be a very special lady if you're going through all the trouble of buying flowers."

"Oh yes, very special." I nodded and smiled back. The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes seemed to bunch as she smiled and told me to follow her.

"I believe that there's a certain kind of arrangement for every type of occasion.." She said as she led the way to a display area that I seemed to walk past. "and flowers for a first date are always the most important flowers, aside from when you get married." She looked over her shoulder and winked at me. "But it might be a bit too early to be thinking about that one." I chuckled as she stopped in front of the stand.

"Wow, all of these are so beautiful." I breathed as I took in all the vibrant color combinations each had.

"Thank you." She replied and fixed one of the bouquets that were misplaced. "Now tell me about her so I can make my suggestion on which you should choose." She turned to face me and intertwined her fingers as she rested them on her round stomach.

"Hm, well.." I tried hard to think of the right things to say about Santana, but I knew that if I had to think too hard that my answers wouldn't be genuine. So, I just started rambling. "She's sweet, like super sweet and caring but I get the idea that people closest to her don't get to see that side that she shows me." The old woman nodded along as I continued. "It's like she's got the hard exterior where she wants to make people think she's all tough but on the inside, she's just as sensitive as anyone else."

"So she's hard on the outside and soft on the inside?"

"Yeah, like a tootsie pop!" The old woman laughed at my comparison and nodded.

"Then I've got just the thing." She spun around and retrieved the most beautiful bouquet I'd ever seen. There was an assortment of yellow and salmon colored roses, orange daisies, a few deep red roses, and gold calla lilies. I don't know why, but this arrangement screamed Santana to me. "I always think that a full bouquet of roses on a first date is too common but adding other types of flowers and colors with it makes a difference." She placed the bundle in one of those clear plastic flower bags and made sure there weren't any imperfections. "and by the sound of it, your special lady sounds pretty feisty, hense the deep reds of the roses, but she also has a sweet side, the brightness of the yellows and oranges." Her explanation was spot on, I could definitely tell she's been selling flowers for quite awhile.

"Wow, this is perfect!" I squealed as she handed the flowers over to me. "Did I mention that red and orange are two of her favorite colors too?" The woman shook her head smiling. "Must be a mind reader then." I said and admired the flowers in my hand. "So how much are these ones?"

"That one's going for $45, but I'll sell it to you for $20." She smiled then patted my forearm. "Let it be a 'good luck' gift for being such a wonderful customer." I don't think I could've smiled any bigger at the kind gesture but when I realized I needed to get to Santana's soon I began getting nervous again.

"Wow, I really appreciate this!" I said after I paid and was heading for the door. "I'll be sure to come by again and tell you how it went!"

"Please do!" She called and sent her hand up in a wave as I walked out. I looked down at the time on my phone; 6:43pm. Crap, I've got a little less than 20 minutes to get there. I jumped in Quinn's car and laid down the bouquet gently on the passenger seat as I turned on the engine.

"Alright, ice cream shop, candy cane tree, lollipop buildings, graffiti.." I chanted as I pulled out on to the street. "Wait, lollipop buildings? No, candy cane buildings! Lollipop tree, graffiti, candy cane buildings, ice cream." I huffed in frustration. "No, that's not right either. Crap!" I came to a red light and tried to regain my composure. "Nope, not working." I groaned and pressed the power button of the GPS that I dubbed the name Kiki. "Kiki, wake up! I need you." I said to the machine that was still in the process of booting up. "Hurry, Kiki, I'm going to be late.." Finally the display screen popped up. "Kiki, Santana's please."

"Destination, Santa Piece."

"What? Santa Piece?" I asked in confusion. What even is that? "No, Kiki, Santana's! Take me to Santana's." I asked again as Kiki 'recalculated' me.

"Destination, Santana." I sighed a breath of relief, I thought I was about to be in some big trouble if Kiki kept messing me up.

"So Kiki, how are you?" I asked as I kept my eyes on the road as the turns were being told to make. "Alright, no need to answer that. I'm not hurt at all." Kiki never talked back when it came to her personal life, she must've had it rough. But hey, I don't judge!

"You have reached your destination."

"I pulled up to the familiar looking building that I saw earlier with Quinn and clapped. "Yay Kiki, we did it!" I looked down at my phone for the time; 6:54pm. "And we're early, what's up!" I shut the car off and powered down Kiki before stepping out of the car making sure I grabbed the flowers before locking up. Each step towards the building were more nerves shot through my body. My palms were sweating, my stomach was all queasy, and my heart rate was all over the place.

"Good Evening, miss." The door man nodded as I walked up the steps. "Lovely flowers." He smiled down at the bouquet in my hand.

"Thank you." I replied politely and walked inside as he held the door open for me. Remembering that Santana never gave me her room number I went out on a limb and tried asking the door man. In movies, the door man always knows what's up, like on Baby Mama! "Excuse me." I said to his back and waited for him to turn around. "I was wondering if you knew what room Santana Lopez was in." He looked at me skeptically. "I'm-uh-taking her out tonight." I wiggled the flowers in my hand. "These are for her." He instantly softened and smiled at me.

"So she's finally moved on from Brooke? Good for her." He said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "She's the very top floor, penthouse, only the best for Miss Lopez." I thanked him and turned to the closest elevator. "Wow, penthouse suite, that's gotta be nice," I thought on the ride up as I watched the numbers on the digital screen get higher and higher. The bell dinged, signaling the top floor, then the doors opened. I stepped out instantly feeling even more nervous than before. "Okay, Britt, It's just Santana." I said trying to calm myself. "It's just the girl you've been waiting on for months to get a chance with, no biggie." My pep talk failed and soon I was standing in front of Santana's door, gripping the bouquet with both hands as I tried to keep from having a panic attack. I took a calming breath in and exhaled slowly. That seemed to do the trick. I reached up and tapped at the door with my knuckles, the sound echoing in the empty hallway. Seconds later I heard the lock of the door clicking and the door knob turn. "Here we go." I thought and tried to play it as cool as possible.

"Hi Brittany." Santana greeted with a smile.

"Da-uh-uhm.." So much for playing it cool. I felt my cheeks flush as her smile got even bigger. I looked down at her outfit; admiring yet another well designed dress that fit snug to her body in all the right places and the soft waviness of her hair, different from her usual straightened look. I glanced back up at her face; she was one of those girls who could go all natural and still look incredibly hot, but tonight she wore just a light coating of makeup. "You look gorgeous." I breathed and this time it was her turn to go a little pink in the cheeks.

"Awh, thanks." She said bashfully. "You're looking just as beautiful as always." I bit down on my lip, attempting to keep from smiling too big. The way she was being all shy and cute made me want to reach up and kiss her, and I started to, but I realized I was still holding the flowers.

"Oh, these are for you." I said and presented her with the bouquet. I watched as her eyes lit up at all the bright colors then take the flowers from me with shaky hands.

"Britt, these are lovely." She cooed and rolled up on her toes to press her lips into mine for an innocent kiss. That would be our third kiss so far, yet they still make me feel all warm and giddy. "No one's ever given me flowers before, thank you."

"What? I don't believe that for a second." I laughed but she seemed she was being serious. Just as she was pulling away, I leaned back in for another quick peck that caught her by surprise. "Sorry, I don't think I could ever get used to being able to kiss you now.." I said smiling down at her. She giggled and shook her head.

"Come on; let's go put these babies in some water before we go." She said and pulled me into her apartment by the hand. Just the smallest gesture had me reeling. Right now, Santana's hand is in mine. I was so caught up in all the feels that I didn't realize how incredible her apartment was. She probably had the best view of the city just from her bathroom window. Her couches were made of white leather; the rug in the living room was some sort of fluffy fabric that looked like pillows of snow. Just by seeing the living room and kitchen, I could tell that Santana had extremely great taste when it came to home décor. Suddenly I realized I was left alone in her living room, not knowing where she was. I followed the scent of her perfume to her kitchen. She was standing over the sink filling a vase with water as she hummed.

"Quinn _was_ right." I said out loud, but more to myself. "I can find you by following your scent." Santana shot me a questioningly look but then it melted away as she laughed.

"I'm not sure whether I should find that extremely cute or if I should be a little creeped out."

"I was going for the cute factor.." I smiled and followed her to the kitchen table where she placed the bouquet in a vase full of water.

"You're funny." She laughed but kept her eyes on the flowers as I continued to roam the area with my eyes.

"Wow, San, this place is amazing." I said awestricken.

"Thanks, I put a lot of work into this place to make sure it looks good." She replied with a wink. "Can't have the head owner of SnixxJuice living in some run down hole in the wall, can we?" She went to throw away the wrapping of the bouquet then walked over to her coat rack and slipped on her jacket.

"Are you ready to go now?" I asked when I noticed her buttoning up her coat.

"Ready if you are." She answered as he buttoned the last button and pulled the back of her hair out from the jacket.

"Well, let's go then." I said and followed her out of the apartment. We made our way out to the car where I scurried over to open and close the car door for her then hurried over to the driver's side.

"Are you in a rush?" She asked as I quickly started the engine. I didn't realize I was moving so quickly, the adrenaline of this date getting started taking over. I looked over and shook my head.

"Nope, no rush." I answered and drove off in the direction of the restaurant. The car ride was quiet, but more of a comfortable silence as we kept sneaking glances at each other. I couldn't contain my happiness when I heard her start singing along to the radio; her silky smooth voice sending warm tingles all over my body making it a little difficult to concentrate on driving. Somehow I managed though and pulled into the parking lot about 20 minutes later. "Well, we're here." I said and shut off the engine. As always, the parking lot was packed, pretty normal considering it was a Friday night. We both got out of the car and made our ways back to each other as we began walking up to the entrance. "Have you been here before?" I asked as we neared the door.

"No, but I've heard about it." She answered as her eyes took in all the fancy decorations in the lobby as the door man opened the door for us. "This is the place where all the celebrities go, right?"

"Mhm." I mumbled then smiled down at her. "You're a kind of a celebrity though, why haven't you ever gone here?" She giggled at the question and shook her head.

"I-I'm no celebrity." She said bashfully. "And this place is extremely nice; I never really had anyone special enough to take here." I suddenly felt all self conscious because if she didn't think Brooke, there person she was so in love with, was special enough to take here then what would make me any different. "But I'm glad my first time's with you though." She smiled up at me with her nose all scrunched up. That was all the reassuring I needed. I returned the smile and walked up to the hostess.

"Hi, I have a reservation for Pierce." I said politely and watched as the woman ran her finger down a long list of names before stopping at one.

"Yes, I have you." She said with a smile and grabbed for two menus. "Come, follow me. Michael has reserved an extra special spot for you Miss Pierce." She led us to a booth that was somewhat hidden by bamboo stalks. Santana slid in on the left while I took the place on the right. "Your server will be with you shortly." The hostess bowed then walked off. Santana was already flipping through her menu while I sat with mine still closed, observing the way she concentrated on each item and how she squinted at certain words, probably words she didn't know how to pronounce. Even in the low lighting, she was still as beautiful as ever; the softness of her hair, the fullness in her lips, her round cheekbones, and those collar bones. I found myself getting extremely hot all of a sudden as my thoughts ended up in the gutter.

"You see something you like?" She asked, looking up at me through her long lashes. I instantly felt my cheeks heat up, even more when she started smirking. "I was talking about the food.." She teased and sat up straight like she was observing me. "So you were leering?"

"I-uh-no.." I stammered trying to cover up being caught staring, but wasn't doing a very good job at it. I opened up my menu in hopes that it would distract me from what I really wanted to eat, and what I really wanted to eat was sitting across from me.

"You're too cute." She cooed then I felt her foot run along my calf under the table. I bit down on my lip trying to keep from exploding from a sensory overload. Come on, Brittany; keep it in your pants! You can do this!

"Do you want to share something?" I asked trying to keep from smiling too big as Santana stared back at me lovingly. "I hear they've got like monster sized portions and I doubt I could eat it all.."

"Mm, sure!"

"Cool, it'll be like the fancy version of Lady and the Tramp!" I cheered and went back to looking the menu over.

"Hi, my name is Mike and I'll be your server for tonight." I looked up to see Mike grinning as he looked over at Santana and I.

"Mike! What the heck? I thought you had classes at the studio tonight?" I asked, shocked to see him in his white collared shirt tucked into his black pants. He shrugged and dug out his notepad.

"Eh, I'm making an exception tonight." He winked and turned to Santana. "And what would you like to drink, my lady?"

"Mm, I'll just go with sweet tea." I raised my brows at her order.

"What? No alcohol, that's strange." I teased and looked up at Mike. "I'll get the same."

"Got it. Do you guys need more time to look over the menu?" I looked over at Santana who was looking to me.

"Uhm, we don't know what to get but we're sharing." I said and looked to Mike. "Any suggestions?"

"I'll see if my uncle can make you guys something special." He replied and stuck his notepad back into his pocket. "I'll be back with your drinks." I nodded then turned back to Santana who had her eyes lowered, probably playing with her hands again.

"Hey, wanna hear something cool?" I whispered and ducked my head down a little and leaned over to her across the table.

"What?" She asked genuinely interested and crept closer to me as if I was going to whisper something to her. Right when she got close enough I captured her lips with mine, smiling into the kiss as she hummed, then pulled back slightly, our lips making that soft smacking sound as we pulled apart. I looked into her dark brown eyes and smiled.

"I love that sound, the one you make when I kiss you by surprise." I said in a hushed voice. I watched as she blushed and bit down on her bottom lip.

"You are really something, Britt." She smiled as she leaned back against the booth, keeping her eyes steady on mine.

"Alright ladies, here are you drinks." Mike said as he set down our glasses and straws. "You guys like beef or chicken?" I looked to Santana while she looked to me.

"Beef, we always have chicken." I answered while Santana nodded in agreement.

"Okay, beef it is. Chef's creating something extra special for you two, call me if you need me." He said as he walked off.

"Woah, fancy fancy!" I giggled and stuck my straw into my drink. "We're getting extra special treatment tonight." Santana joined in on the laughter as she swirled her straw around in her cup of tea. "Oh, speaking of extra special treatment, guess who sat in this very booth." I looked up at Santana with such excitement.

"Uhm, Lady Gaga?"

"Ooh, no but that would've been cool too!" I said and waited for another guess but she just shrugged. "Naya Rivera and Heather Morris!" Her face lit up at the names.

"Seriously?" She breathed and ran her hands along her seat. "I wonder who sat where I'm sitting."

"Mike was actually the one who served them; which is why I got to reserve this booth, but he said that you're sitting where Naya sat and I'm sitting where Heather sat." I watched as Santana's eyes went even wider.

"No fucking way!" She ran her hand down the seat of the booth. "Naya's ass touched this leather, I'll never wash this hand again." I laughed and shook my head as she reached up and took a sip of her drink.

"Just think, they probably were on a date too!" I replied and with a burst of confidence, reached across the table to grab her hand. Her usually cool fingertips were warm against my skin, but still soft and able to partially stun me. "I bet Heather reached over and took Naya's hand just like this." I said and rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand in small circular patterns.

"Yeah, I could see that." Santana sighed and smiled down at our joined hands. "Naya always did seem like the submissive one in their relationship." We both broke out in a fit of giggles talking about how much we liked the actresses until Mike brought out this oval shaped plate piled with delicious smelling food then produced two extra plates as well as utensils.

"Just because I know you aren't very good with chopsticks." Mike said quietly and pushed a pair of beginner chopsticks with one of those rubber bands at the end to me. I smiled up at him and thanked him for his thoughtfulness. "You ladies enjoy, Chef's dubbing this the Brittana if you guys like it enough."

"Wow, sitting in the same booth as two of my favorite actresses and getting a special dish named after our mashed up names?" Santana asked as she took a bite of the food.

"Best date ever, right?" I asked and wiggled my eyebrows at her.

"Don't know, the date's not over yet.." She chirped as we continued eating. After about 20 more minutes of just sitting and talking about random stuff, just enjoying each other's company, Mike came around with the check.

"Here you guys go." He said as he placed the black holder on the table and started to pile our plates. "Any dessert?" I looked up to see Santana smirking at me with dark eyes.

"Uh, no that's alright." I said and swiftly snatched the check away before Santana could see it. "You know the rules." I teased and looked to see the damage.

_Just leave $20 and we'll call it even –Mike_

I looked up to see Mike was nowhere to be found. No way was I going to just pay $20 for a meal that was easy tripled that. Just as I was pulling out my money from my purse, Mike reappeared. I pulled out $40 in which he returned the extra $20 to me and hurried off before I could protest.

The two of us slid out of the booth and made our way towards the exit, stopping by Mike one last time to thank him for everything, before we headed out into the cold.

"Burr." I said through chattering teeth as we stepped out into the frigid air. "So. Cold."

"Fucking freezing." Santana mumbled as she dug her hands into her coat pockets and huddle into me. I smiled down at the closeness, all the warm feelings she was giving me somewhat cancelled out all the coldness in the air. I looked down at her hands buried so deep in her pockets; I reached down and pulled out one of her hands and looped it through my arm then replaced it back into her pocket.

"Better?" She grinned at the gesture and tightened her hold on my arm as we walked back to the car. I wanted to walk as slow as possible because I knew our date was drawing to a close, but the cold was really pushing us to move faster.

I walked her to the passenger's side of the car and reluctantly pulled my arm away from her so that she could get in then closed her door before skipping around to my side. After a 20 minute drive back to her apartment, I was shutting the engine off and walking her up the steps where the door man was still standing. This time though, instead of walking with a foot of space between us, we were much closer, and this time our hands were interlaced. The door man nodded at us with a smile and went to hold the door open as we walked through. The simplest gesture of just holding Santana's hand, the way her fingers fit perfectly between like they were made to be interlocked forever, really made my night.

"Well, this marks the end of our first date." I said as we approached her apartment door.

"I really like where this is going, you know, you and me." She said and brought our locked hands to brush soft kisses along my knuckles.

"Yeah, it was definitely worth the wait." I answered with a goofy grin.

"Well, it doesn't have to end..you can come inside and-uh-play uno with me?" By the look in her eyes I could tell there would be playing no such game.

"Though I love playing Uno, I feel that I wouldn't be able to resist certain _urges_ if I were to be left alone in a room with you." I replied truthfully.

"That doesn't sound like a bad thing to me." She smirked with her eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, I bet but we're taking this super slow just like you said." I answered sternly though it was extremely hard for me to say no to 'playing Uno', our slow process has worked so far and the turnout has been great, why rush? "Plus, I never sleep over on the first date." I winked and leaned in for a deep kiss. There she goes humming against my lips again, love it.

"Who said anything about sleeping?" I felt all the blood in my body rush to my face as the words left her mouth. Why does she have to be so freaking sexy all the time?! Great, now I'm thinking about that dream again. Focus Britt, focus! "I'm just kidding, B." She laughed and connected our lips again for another sweet kiss. "We're taking things slow; don't mind me and my dirty mind."

"Right." I replied once the heat somewhat left my cheeks.

"Well, I had a lot of fun tonight. This has easily made it to my top 5 best dates."

"What's number one?" I asked curiously, hoping that it didn't have to do with Brooke.

"Our future second date." She answered confidently. "And this time, I get to hold doors open and bring you flowers."

"Can't wait." I mumbled and crashed our lips together one last time. "Well, I should get going now. Goodnight, Santana. I'll call you when I get home."

"Night, Britt-Britt." She said as I turned to leave for the elevators. "I'm missing you already."

* * *

A/N Good, yes? I tried my hardest to update before the episode aired, but I got caught up in my effort to make the chapter longer. I know you guys are wanting some sexy times, but it took the girls this long just for a first date..sexy times won't be for at least another 3 or 4 chapters, maybe. ( ; Anyway, hope the fluff counters that bad taste left in your mouth from Bram. Let me know.


	21. Chapter 21 Why Me?

A/N Op, sorry I broke my daily updates streak..again. I've had work & school leaving me no time to write! / : But it's okay because this is another long chapter! Yay! :D Take note of the tiny time jump though. Enjoy!

* * *

CHAPTER 21

One Month Later;

"Can you come over now?" I said into the receiver of my cell phone. "I'm really bored.." I had my phone wedged between my shoulder and ear as I flipped through channels on the tv. "How come nothing good is on whenever I'm off?" I huffed then heard snickering on the other end.

"I know, I wanna leave but they want me to check out some new talent." Santana answered as I heard papers ruffling in the background. "You know I've got to make sure they're awesome before I put my name on them."

"Mhm, I get it." I said as I turned the tv off and laid down on the couch. "I still can't believe you own most of SnixxJuice, that's so crazy!"

"Yeah and I still can't believe you never realized that before." She laughed.

"Well, you _did_ say you were under an alias.." I countered, closing my eyes as I laid my head back against the arm rest of the couch.

"Oh right, I did!" She replied. "I was just trying to see if you were a crazy fan.."

"Am I?"

"Mm, nope. Just crazy hot." I felt myself blushing and rolled over to my side as I held the phone to my ear with my hand.

"_Now_ is it time for you to come over?" I whined staring up at the clock on the cable box.

"Britt, I said it might be just a little less than an hour longer." She said softly. "Believe me, I wanna getz my cuddlez on too.." I smiled at hearing her gangsta voice, she was such a dork.

"An hour?" I groaned. "What am I supposed to do for an hour?" Nothing was on tv, Bella was still in school, and Quinn was working, so that meant I had no one to talk to.

"Hm, well it's a little warmer out today." She began in a cheery voice. "And by warmer, I mean it's still cold as hell but at least the snow's stopped falling. Why don't you go for a run?"

"Well..I _have_ been slacking on running lately.." I answered quietly.

"Plus, it would kill some time."

"Very true, very true." I replied as I rolled over on my back and looked up at the ceiling. "I guess I could go for a short run."

"Yeah, it'll be good for you."

"Okay, well I'll let you get back to work then." I said as I sat up and walked to my room. "Bye San, see you in an hour!"

"Yup, see you in an hour." I hung up the phone and set it on my dresser as I quickly changed into some jogging pants and the matching sweater. I pulled my blond hair up in a ponytail and dug out my headphones from my nightstand drawer before slipping on my cross trainers. I did a few stretches then made my way outside.

Santana was right; it wasn't as cold as it had been the last couple days, definitely good running weather. I scrolled through my music playlists and pressed play as I started at a slow jog to the nearest park. Being a dance choreographer, I had to be in top shape at all times, but since I hadn't gone for a run in about a week, finally stretching out my muscles felt really good. Soon the adrenaline was pumping and I quickened my slow paced jog to a steady run. I didn't realize how much I had missed running; I've always loved taking the scenic routes and seeing all the frost covered trees and frozen lakes put me in such a calm mood.

I didn't start to pant till about 20 minutes into the run and decided that I should probably turn back now. I checked the time and instantly grinned; Santana would be over in less than 30 minutes! The thought alone had me quickening my pace making it able for me to get back to the apartment in exactly 15 minutes. However, once I headed up to the room, I felt incredibly tired. "Maybe I over did it that last mile," I thought as I tried stretching out my legs. I went to the fridge and pulled out a water bottle, downing almost all of it in the span of 20 seconds. I brought the bottle with me as I plopped down on the couch. "I'll just take a breather really quick before I get showered and what not," I said to myself and set the water bottle on the coffee table as I began to slowly scoot further and further down on the couch until I was laying down. "Just gunna rest my eyes for like a minute," I thought and allowed myself to curl up into the couch cushions.

I didn't' realize I had fallen asleep until I started to feel myself being pulled from the depths of my dreams by something, I wasn't sure what though. I still wasn't able to open my eyes yet, and my limbs felt like dead weight. But that _something_ kept on pulling me, making it harder and harder for me to stay asleep. Now I was starting become more aware of my surroundings as I kept my eyes closed; the heater running, the low chatter playing on the tv, the rumbling of the fridge, even the soft hums that came from beside me. I felt a tickle on the tip of my nose and subconsciously scrunched my face at the unfamiliar feeling. I thought I had made it go away, but it was back at it again.

"Britt.." I heard my name being called in a low voice as I struggled with staying asleep and waking up. "Britt.." There it was again, but this time it was a little louder. I felt another tickle again, and realized that it was someone was running their finger along the bridge of my nose. I could still tell that I was lying on my side, and judging by the angle of the person's finger, they were kneeling on the floor next to me. "Wake up, Britt.." This time I could tell who that voice belonged to.

"Mm, San.." I mumbled with a smile and slowly opened my eyes to see the Latina leaning on to the edge of the couch with her finger running down my nose again.

"Hey, Britt." She grinned and brushed some loose hair from my face and tucked it behind my ear. "You know you still have your shoes on, right?" She asked and tilted her head towards my feet.

"Hm, I must've forgotten to take them off." I answered and kicked my shoes off, letting them drop to the floor. I looked back at her and smiled; oh how I've missed seeing her dark brown eyes and those full lips that I wanted to- "Hey, wait, how did you get in here?"

"You should really learn to lock the doors.." Santana shrugged. "I could've been like a killer or something."

"Yeah..but I don't know how to do that." I said blatantly, trying to keep a straight face but failing miserably when she giggled. "Just kidding, I guess I forgot. I didn't expect to fall asleep so quickly after my run."

"Well if you're still tired, you can go back to sleep. I can come back later?" Santana said, but I could tell by the look in her eyes that she didn't want to leave. Good, because I didn't want her to either.

"Uh-uh, I wanna cuddle and watch movies like we planned to!" I cheered and sat up fully. "But first, I'm gunna take a shower." I announced and stood up from the couch. "I feel really dirty and I don't want you to have to cuddle with that." Santana smirked then cocked her head to the side as she stared me down with dark lusty eyes then parted her lips like she was about to say something. "Stop looking at me like that!" I laughed and pecked her on the cheek before walking off to my room to get my shower going. "I'll be quick."

I emerged from the bathroom about 15 minutes later, my hair still a bit damp as it fell around my shoulders. I threw on a loose sweater with a picture of a moose on it and slipped into some skinny jeans before rejoining Santana on the couch.

"All done." I said cheerfully and plopped down next to her. She had been mindlessly flipping through tv channels like I had been earlier until I nuzzled into her. "Mm, whatcha watchin?" I asked as she snuck her arm around my waist and tugged me closer until there wasn't a single centimeter between us.

"I don't even know.." She sighed and looked down at me with a smile on her lips. "You smell good." I don't know why, but I felt myself blushing at the simple compliment and hid my face in her shoulder. "Can you stop being so damn adorable all the time?" She laughed.

"Never!" I said confidently then laid my head on her shoulder until I realized my hair was still damp. "Oh, sorry, I'm getting you wet." I mumbled innocently and picked my head up.

"I mean, just-"

"Wanky?" I sighed, finishing her sentence. She smiled over at me with her forehead creased in confusion. "What does that even mean? You always say it and I don't know why..I feel like I'm missing something." She pressed her lips together like she was trying to keep herself from laughing. "Well? Explain."

"Uh-well.." She began with her cheeks reddening as she stammered. "I-It's nothing."

"Are you blushing, San?" I teased and leaned over to her cheek as gnawed on her lip.

"Wha-no?" She stuttered defensively. "Ethnic people don't blush." Watching her get all flustered was like the funniest thing to me, it only pushed me to tease her even further.

"You're blushing." I smirked then giggled a little.

"Am not!" She huffed then turned her head in the opposite direction like she was trying to hide from me; it only made me laugh more.

"Awh, but I like it though!" I cooed and brought my hand up to cup her chin so I could turn her to face me again. "It's cute." She was trying so hard not to smile, but the twitches in the corners of her mouth were giving her away, she ended up grinning bashfully as our eyes locked.

"Kiss me." She muttered with her eyes staring into mine with determination. I didn't have to be told twice so I brought both of my hands to her cheeks, one slowly making its way into the back of her hair, and kissed her passionately. Like always, I felt her hum, the sound vibrating against my lips as our mouths worked together in a rhythmic pattern.

I loved making out with Santana, aside from dancing, it was my favorite thing to do, but lately it's been getting hard to keep from going further than just kissing. I mean, I've always been a tiny bit handsy, but for the sake of Santana and 'going slow', I mostly kept my hands to myself. I was surprised to see that it was _Santana _who first slid her hand up under my shirt. That was about 3 weeks ago, and each make out session since then got harder and harder. It took everything in me not to rip off her clothes each time things got heated, but we both made it very clear that we wanted to wait until we were completely ready.

Either way, I haven't had sex in like forever! Ever since my crush on Santana started, I sort of ignored all the other women who wanted to hook up. Believe me, there was a lot! But I didn't find any of them a quarter as attractive as Santana, and I just couldn't bring myself to go further than making out when it came to the random girls who wanted nothing more than sex from me. But I could wait, I could totally do that! Just like waiting to make a move on Santana and the outcome being the greatest kiss of my life, waiting to have sex with this girl that I'm pretty sure I'm in love with would be a million times greater. Our transition from friends to lovers is a very important thing to the girl considering her previous relationship started off as just sex then blossomed into a relationship.

Our lips continued to crash together as our tongues battled for dominance. I could never get tired of how soft her lips were or the way she always tasted like cherries, probably from her chapstick. She took my bottom lip between her teeth and tugged on it gently as she smiled up at me. God, she is so sexy when she does that. My body felt warm; she tended to leave each inch of my skin she ran her fingers down tingling, only arousing me even more.

I didn't know when it happened, but somehow I ended up hovering over the Latina as our kisses turned deeper, almost needy. Her hands were roaming around under my sweater, trailing down the segments of my spine as my hands slipped under her shirt to run along her sides. Feeling the warmness of her skin under my fingertips was enough to get me going, but once I was _really_ going it was hard for me to stop.

What made it even worse was now Santana's thigh just so happened to be rubbing against my throbbing bundle of nerves. I don't think she meant for that to happen since I was kind of cornering her against the armrest of the couch; then again, Santana can be just as sneaky as Bella. I attempted to change positions, but wit Santana's hands gliding up and down my back made it extremely hard to move, especially if I wanted to keep our lips connected. I decided to let her get some air and trail kisses along her jaw instead in hopes that she would be too busy catching her breath to notice me moving away from her thigh.

"Fucking hell, Britt, you're _so_ good at this.." she groaned and rolled her head back further on to the armrest, exposing more skin on her neck for me to shower with kisses. I laid soft kisses along her neck, sucking a little on her pulse point but not enough to leave a hickey, until I had made my way up to her earlobe all while carefully moving out from her thigh.

"Love our sweet lady kisses." I whispered then licked the shell of her ear. She giggled beneath me and turned her head so that she could catch my lips with hers again. Her tongue swiped across my lip as her hands came out from under my shirt and found their way to tangle in my blonde hair. I smiled when I felt her pulling me closer to her body until we were almost pressed together. Man, she is such a good kisser. I always thought I was pretty good, but damn, Santana was _so_ much better. She expertly explored my mouth with her tongue as I tried to keep up with her movements.

I was so turned on and her little moans she would make only got my center throbbing even more. It was beginning to feel a little unbearable, but I didn't want it to stop. My hands started moving further and further up under Santana's shirt, marveling in how soft her skin was, until my fingertips were stopped by the material of her bra.

Second base. This is when Santana would usually push my hands back and tell me to slow down, but this time was different. This time she didn't even flinch, last time she flinched and made me quickly shoot my hand back like I had been bitten, but this time nothing. I thought maybe she was a little preoccupied in playing with my lip that she didn't notice how far I was going. But not wanting to overstep any boundaries, I started to slowly slide my hand back, that is until she stopped me and pushed my hand back up to where it was.

"I want you to feel me." She said huskily as she smiled up at me. I looked down at her hesitantly, but she confirmed her want. "It's okay, Britt." She said in that same low raspy voice that sent a new wave of heat to my wet center. I nodded a little as I inched my fingers over the lacy material of her bra until I was cupping her breast. Damn, is it hot in here or what? The material of her bra was the only thing separating me from some actual skin, but I knew better than to ask if I could remove it. She hummed at my touches and went back to kissing me hungrily.

I was in total bliss as I roamed the new areas she had let me feel and shockingly, the need to rip her clothes off wasn't as great. But then she had to go and start dragging her finger nails over my shoulder blades. If there was one thing that could get me going and send me in a frenzy, it was scratching. I shuddered into the contact, but loved how it felt. Soon the sensations between my legs started to get unbearable, and though she _did_ let me cop a feel, I was beginning to need a little more.

I don't know what came over me, but soon my fingers were playing at the waistband of her slacks. I tried to pull myself away, but my inner horn dog was taking over. Damn, her skin is so soft! And her abs..help! My fingers curled into her waistband, but I didn't make another move. She had pulled away from my lips.

"Britt.." She warned with a smirk. "You know the rules." I instantly blushed and snatched my hands away from her.

"Sorry, I got a little..carried away." I whispered, the pout on my lips forming involuntarily. She snickered and pressed her lips into mine softly. We were just about to get back to it when I heard my cell phone ring. I tried ignoring it, still wanting my sweet lady kisses, but Santana turned her head to the coffee table, disconnecting our lips in the process.

"I think someone's calling you, B." She said then reached over to the table and handed me my phone. I looked down at the screen and sighed.

"Hey Quinn, what's up?" I answered, still hovering over Santana as she batted her eyelashes at me. I rolled my eyes at her playfully and tried to focus on what Quinn was saying. "Oh yeah, that's fine. What time?" Santana leaned towards me and began kissing along my collar bones. "Breathing funny? I'm not breathing funny? I'm breathing normal." Santana lay back trying to stifle her laughing so that Quinn wouldn't hear. "No, really, I'm fine." Santana scrunched her face up at me when I mouthed the word 'tease' to her. "Okay, got it. See you later." I hung up the phone and placed it back on the table then narrowed my eyes on the girl beneath me. "You're mean."

"Why am I mean?" She laughed with her head cocked to the side.

"You made Quinn think I was having an asthma attack.."

"You have asthma?" She questioned with brow raised.

"No..but I could!" I answered confidently only making Santana smile at me affectionately.

"Well, I'm sorry." She replied sincerely and leaned forward to kiss my lips gently then pulled back just an inch. "Won't happen again."

"Somehow I don't believe that." I laughed then lifted myself off of her.

"Wh-Where are you going?" She pouted.

"Hey, that's my thing." I teased and ran my thumb along her bottom lip. "And Quinn can't pick Bella up from school today so she asked me to get her." I replied as I let my hand fall to her knee. "You wanna go with me?"

"Of course!" She answered happily with a big grin. "I feel like I haven't seen Bella in forever."

"Well, it has been like a week..she's a little upset you forgot about her."

"Awh, really?" She said sounding a little sad. "Well maybe we can go out for hot chocolate or something when we pick her up?"

"Oh yeah, she'd love that!" I said and stood up to get my shoes and jacket on. Santana followed as she slipped into her pea coat and boots. I was just about to open the door when she stopped me by holding on my wrist.

"Your hair, Britt, you look like you just had sex." Santana laughed and began brushing through my gold locks with her tanned fingers.

"Huh, I wish.." I teased and pecked her cheek. "Just kidding, let's go!"

The walk to Bella's school was short, but the way Santana clung to my arm as we walked made it seem so much longer. I don't know why, but everything with her seems to go in slow motion. Her fingers sprawled over my bicep and tightened her grip as we walked across the crosswalk. It's the simple things like that that makes my heart flutter. Ever since I told her about my fear of getting lose amongst the crowd, she always held on to me tighter when we were in a busy section. I loved how she remembered even though I told her that months ago, it was meaningful to me.

But the thing is, Santana isn't my girlfriend. Yeah, we've been on tons of dates and we make out like all the time and it's wonderful and amazing, but we weren't official or anything. Our Facebook relationship statuses still remained _single_ and we still referred to each other by our first names. We had nicknames, but no pet names. We actually rarely talked about what we were, we sort of just assumed what the other was thinking.

Me, I believe that San really wants this to work, me and her, that she's holding out for as long as she can to make sure she is positive that this is what she wants. I don't blame her, her last girlfriend cheated on her numerous times and killed her self esteem, leaving her as this hollow shell of an amazing woman. I would be a little skeptical of all my relationships after going through that too! I never really hated anyone before, but just thinking about how Brooke made Santana feel made me really dislike the girl. Just thinking about all the times Santana _tried_ to leave her but couldn't really worked me up. Everyone said they tried telling her to get out, but Santana didn't listen to any of them and remained getting hurt over and over.

But what I don't get, what I just thought about right this second; out of all the people who tried telling her Brooke was no good, of all her friends that tried talking some sense into her, why did she listen to me? I had barely known her for a month, maybe a little longer, before the break up yet she was so quick to take my advice.

"Hey, you okay?" Santana asked as she dipped her head low to find my eyes. "You look like you're in some pretty deep though there.."

"Why me?" I asked breathlessly. "You never listened to anyone else, not even your friends, but you listened to me. Why?"

"Uhm, I'm not really sure what you're talking about Britt.." She said skeptically. I realized I had been thinking and not talking out loud so she had no idea what I had just said, or rather, thought about.

"Kurt, Rachel, even Puck told me that they tried pulling you away from Brooke.." I began as I slowed our walking pace down a little. "They tried showing you how bad of a relationship you were in, but you never listened to them. You never took their advice." We stopped walking all together and stood off to the side of the sidewalk so that people could pass. She stared up at me with a confused look. "But then I tell you that Brooke tried hitting on me and the next day you break up with her. Why is that?" I watched as she chewed her lip, her eyes darting at every crack in the pavement. The longest minute passed before she looked up at me and shrugged.

"Isn't it obvious?" She asked, her brows furrowed and her voice sounding so soft and delicate.

"I think you should know by now that sometimes the obvious things are the hardest for me to pick up on." I answered truthfully. She let a small smile tug at her lips before she took in a shaky breath as she tried looking at everything and anything but up in my eyes.

"You opinion means the most to me." She answered quietly. "Even then, I didn't want to do something like staying in a relationship with Brooke after she flirted with you to disappoint you. I don't know why, Brittany, but from the first day I met you you made quite the impression on me. I could care less what anyone else said, but if it came from you, I'd listen." By the time she had finished speaking my cheeks were sore from smiling so big. "You're important to me, always have been." She didn't make any eye contact with me what so ever, and seeing her look a little helpless made me want to wrap my arms around her and never let her go.

"San.." I cooed and stepped towards her then wrapped my arms around her shoulders. "You are so very special to me." I said in her nest of hair. I felt her nuzzle into my neck then her arms wrapped around my torso, returning the hug. We stayed like that for a couple minutes before I pulled back. "Come on, let's go get Bella."

About 5 minutes later, we arrived at Bella's school. Though there was a sea of little kids running about to their parents, it wasn't that hard to spot the mini Quinn bounding towards us.

"Britty! Britty!" She squealed excitedly as she set her eyes on me. I squatted, anticipating the inevitable 'running jump' that Bella was so known for doing.

"Hey Peanut!" I answered and scooped up the girl in my arms. "Look who I brought!" I said and turned towards Santana who Bella must have not noticed was there.

"Sanny!" She squealed even louder with the biggest grin ever. "Britty and Sanny comin to get me from school? Best. Day. Ever."

"Oh yeah, you've definitely been hanging around me too long." I laughed and adjusted her on my hip.

"Hey Little One!" San replied and brushed through the little girl's hair with her palm. "You know what would make this day even better?"

"What?" Bella asked curiously as she leaned forward a little to Santana begging to hear what she had to say.

"Hot chocolate."

"Yay! Can we get some, Britty, please?" Bella begged with a jutted lip and puppy dog eyes. Wow, she really did learn from the best!

"Sure thing, Bells!" I answered with a poke at her belly. "But I'm not carrying you the whole way, you're getting heavy." I teased and set her on the ground. Bella huffed but then grabbed on to both Santana and my hands as we began walking to the nearest diner to get this girl some hot coco.

"So how was school today?" Santana asked as the three of us sit in a booth sipping on our drinks.

"Fun!" Bella squeaked and started wiggling out of the straps of her bookbag. "I got to color a whole bunch..see!" She pulled out a picture drawn in crayon of stick figures and a little house and tree and sun, it was cute.

"Ooh, very pretty!" Santana cooed and tilted the picture so she could see it more clearly. "Is this you?" She asked as she pointed to the shorter of the group with blonde hair.

"Mhm!" Bella answered the started pointing at the rest of the figures. "And this is mommy, this is Sammy, that's Britty, a-and this is you!" I followed along with Bella's finger as she pointed to each character, but by the time she pointed to Sam, I knew that the last drawing had to be Santana, that's the only one drawn with black hair. I looked up to see Santana smiling down at the picture with such sweetness, it made my heart melt.

"Well isn't that cute?" A voice rang from behind me. Their sarcastic tone caused me to whip my head around. A girl stepped forward, long wavy light brunette hair falling in front of her shoulders as a smirk played on her lips, with hazel eyes darkened with mischief. "Playing house?"

"Seriously?" I groaned as I took in the girl's appearance. "Don't you have anything better to do than stalk us?" Brooked tossed her head back in a breathy laugh as she looked back down at me.

"Oh, don't flatter yourself, blondie, I was just leaving." Brooke sighed with a wave of her hand then let her eyes fall on Santana. "That is, until I saw this _beautiful _stranger." I clenched my jaw tight at Brooke using that word, knowing that Santana and her had a little bit of history there.

"That won't work on me anymore, Brooke, I've moved on from you." Santana said in a somewhat confident voice that only made Brooke roll her head back laughing again.

"Yeah, we'll see about that." She smirked then walked out of the diner. I was fuming, and if Bella wasn't sitting next to me, I might've acted on my rage. The way she looked at Santana, the way she talked to her, the way she smiled, I did not like any of it.

"Hey, easy killer, she's gone." Santana said softly with a little smile playing on her lips as she reached over the table and stroked the back of my hand with her thumb. "Don't think anything of her." I nodded trying to let Santana's words calm me, and they did.

"Britty.." Bella said quietly as she tugged on the sleeve of my sweater. I leaned down to hear what she had to say. "I-I don't like that lady, Britty, she made you mad a-and she kept smilin at Sanny like a crazypants.." I looked down at Bella and saw the concern in her bright hazel eyes. I tried smiling my best and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Yeah, Peanut, I don't like her either.."


	22. Chapter 22 S&M

CHAPTER 22

_That Saturday;_

I had just finished teaching the new routine to the other dancers, and now I was sprawled out on the floor again trying to steady my breathing. This was probably one of the most elaborate routines I've come up with so far, and if _I'm _heavy breathing, I know the girls are probably 10 times worse.

"Here you go, Britt." Kurt's cheery voice rang as he skipped over with a water bottle in his hand. I sat up and took the water from him gratefully before chugging nearly all of it. "Woah, someone's thirsty." He laughed as I handed him the now empty bottle.

"Yea thanks, I needed that." I replied somewhat out of breath. "You coming out with us tonight?" I watched as Kurt's face lit up and how he nodded happily.

"Oh yes, I've missed clubbing with the girls!" He cheered, clapping his hands together.

"Well, Sam's coming too." I said with a chuckle. "He's gunna be our DD."

"Ah, you've got a DD?" Kurt asked with his eyes narrowed. "This is definitely going to be a fun night! Can't wait to see a drunk Quinn!" He cheered then we spent the next 5 minutes talking about which club we're going to and what time, until I heard deep voice echoing from the hallway accompanied by a soft raspy one.

"Hey guys, how's everything going?" Noah asked as he walked into the studio with Santana following close behind. I sort of toned out anything my boss was saying when she appeared. Even in simple burgundy jeans and a white vneck, she still looked gorgeous. I caught myself smiling goofily at her as she came closer to Kurt and me.

"Hey Britt-Britt, thought I'd come say 'Hi' since me and Noah are going out for lunch." Santana said with a smile and nodded over to my boss. "He's been a little moody because I haven't been hanging out with him as much as we used to." I watched as the two started playfully bumping each other until I remembered that I hadn't asked Santana if she was going tonight. I mean, I was going to ask her later when I got off but since she's here now..

"Hey, what are you doing tonight?" I asked, my voice pulling Santana away from sucker punching Noah again.

"Hm, nothing. Why?" She shrugged.

"Well, we're going out tonight; me, Quinn, Sam, Kurt, and Blaine." I said hoping that I didn't leave anyone out of the list. "It was Quinn's idea, you want to go?" She looked up at the ceiling like she didn't want to answer my question, it was weird. "Uhm, if you don't want to go it's okay." I said softly, but I really wanted her to go.

"Oh no, I _do_ want to go.." She sighed and looked down at me. "It's just, I haven't really hung out with Quinn or Sam before, I don't want to intrude.." The way she got all shy was so cute to me that I found myself giggling a little at her discomfort.

"Intrude? Santana, you guys always talk to each other." I laughed and watched as she got all nervous looking.

"No, I don't talk to her that much..I mostly talk to Bella." She answered with a small shrug.

"Well then, more reason for you to come out!" I answered happily.

"Oh Satan, please go.." Kurt pleaded with his hands clasped together. "You can even ride with me and Blaine, we'll pick you up!"

"Uhh, I don't know.." Santana still didn't look to enthusiastic. I couldn't understand why she was so against going. I mean, she would mostly be with me and we have never gone out together before so it would be fun, right?

Rachel popped out of the dressing room and called for Kurt while Noah followed him to the room, so now it was just me and Santana. I stood up and made my way to sit down on the counter as Santana followed me with her eyes. I smiled and nodded her to come to me. She had her arms crossed as she walked over to me slowly.

"Why don't you want to go?" I asked softly. "Is it because you'd sort of be my date?" Her head perked up at the word as she cocked her head to the side, puzzled. "You know, Sam has Quinn, Blaine has Kurt, a-and you have me. You're my pair!" She smiled a lopsided grin as she snickered a little. "So why don't you want to go?"

"It's kinda lame.." She said quietly and focused on the floor. She looked like a little kid who had just been scolded the way she wrapped her arms around herself and refused to look at me. I wasn't having any of that though. I leaned forward as much as I could so that I wouldn't fall off the counter, and tugged her closer to me so that she was now standing between my legs.

"I bet it's not." I answered then smiled down at her affectionately. "You can tell me." She gnawed on her lip then looked up at me.

"It's Quinn.." She sighed. "She's obviously a really big part of your life, her and Bella, a-and I just don't want to make a bad impression. What if she doesn't like me like Bella does? What if we don't get along, then what?" I watched as her eyes flickered back and forth between my eyes. She was really stressing out about being friends with Quinn? It's just Quinn..

"San, you'll never know unless you try." I said softly and ran my hands up and down her arms. "Who knows, maybe the three of us will be super best friends forever?" I got excited as the words left my mouth. Wouldn't that be cool though? Santana eased up a bit until we realized that Kurt and Noah had rejoined the room and were standing a bit behind her. I looked up and saw the both of them smirking at how I was touching Santana so I slowly slid my hands away.

"So Satan, are you going?" Kurt asked impatiently.

"Yeah, give them an answer, I'm starving!" Noah groaned as he rubbed his stomach with his hand.

"Pleaase?" I pouted and gave her my best puppy dog eyes. "I'll be your best friend?" Santana laughed then shook her head.

"You're already my best friend.." She answered with her tongue poking out at me.

"B-but, if you don't go then who will I hang out with? I'll be like the 5th wheel!" I furrowed my brow and stared down into my lap hoping that by pouting I'd get Santana to change her mind. Now everyone was looking to her for an answer.

"Well, I can't have you go clubbin' alone.." Santana said nervously. "I-I guess I can go." I picked my head up and smiled the biggest smile ever. "That is, if Kurt's still going to drive.."

"Oh, of course I will!" Kurt answered happily. Santana just nodded and smiled up at me.

"Yay, we're going to have so much fun!" I cheered and hopped off the counter.

"Wow, I can just hear the whip crackling." Noah teased and nudged Santana as they turned to leave.

"Shut up, Puckerman." Santana snapped then shot a gleaming smile over her shoulder to me. "See you later, Britt-Britt."

_Later That Night;_

"Do you see them anywhere?" I asked as I anxiously searched the crowd for a certain Latina. She had texted me about 20 minutes ago saying that she was at the club already, but we had been running late since Marley was sick and we had to wait for Mercedes to come get Bella.

"Slow down, Britt, I don't think she's going anywhere any time soon." Quinn teased as she watched me weave through the other patrons of the club hastily.

"Yeah, I know, b-but I don't want her to be standing by herself or something." I replied as I felt Quinn's fingers wrap around my wrist and forced me to slow down a bit.

"She's with Blaine and Kurt, she won't be alone." Sam added as he followed up beside me and gave me a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"Oh wait, is that her over there?" Quinn nodded in the direction of the bar, but I couldn't quite see just yet. I quickened my pace as we neared the bar until I could faintly see the outline of the girl's body. Deep red and black stripped dress that stopped at her tanned thighs, toned legs that were extenuated by her heeled black boots, a black cropped leather jacket covering her torso; yup, this was definitely Santana.

She wasn't looking in my direction though as she leaned up against the bar, probably waiting for her drink I assume. Man, do I love when she wears those tight dresses, they show off her ass so well, just ughh! I looked to the sides of her and noticed that it was Blaine and Kurt. I waved to them as I got closer then brought a finger to my lips telling them not to acknowledge me as I snuck up behind Santana. The two quickly averted their eyes from me as I slowly crept up and snuck my arms around her waist to go in for a surprise attack hug.

"Hi Sant-ahhoww!" I felt a pointy elbow slam into my stomach just as I slide my arms around her, practically knocking the wind out of me.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry Britt!" Santana said frantically as she spun around and started gingerly rubbing the area where she had elbowed me. "It was just a reflex, I'm sorry!" I was definitely in a little pain, but having her look so concerned about accidently hitting me seemed to make the pain fade.

"It's okay, San, no more sneak attacks." I said attempting to laugh off the soreness. "You look very pretty though." She smiled warmly up at me, even in the low light, I could faintly see her cheeks tinting a shade of pink.

"Woah Britt, are you okay?" Sam asked as he and Quinn made their way over to us at the bar. Quinn took a step in front of him and glared at Santana.

"I swear, if you fucking hurt her like that again it will be the end for you!" She bit sharply towards the Latina. I felt Santana's body tense at the harshness of Quinn's tone. I even shuddered; Quinn was scary when she talked like that.

"I-I uh it was a-" Santana tried to stammer, but Quinn raised her hand to stop her, still with her eyes narrowed but then she softened and smiled warmly at us.

"I'm totally kidding, Santana, I know it was an accident." Quinn laughed and stepped forward to pat Santana's shoulder. "Sorry Britt, I couldn't help myself.." I shot her a glare. Maybe it _wasn't_ such a good idea to tell Quinn that Santana was so worried about first impressions.

"That wasn't nice, Q, say sorry." I said in a sort of scolding tone as I slipped my arm around Santana's waist.

"I was just joking.." Quinn whined but I just shook my head.

"Sam, tell her.." I said towards Sam as he smirked at her childish behavior.

"Babe, that was a little mean.." Sam said softly as he wrapped his arms around Quinn from behind.

"Ugh, fine." Quinn huffed. "I'm sorry for scaring you like that." She sighed then smirked. "Just take it as a warning; if you ever hurt Brittany, I'll hurt you."

"Quinn!" I chastised. Geez, this is not how I wanted this to go. The tension between the two grew as they stared each other down until they both broke out in a fit of giggles.

"No Britt, it's okay." Santana laughed. "She's only looking out for you, I get it." Santana turned her gaze on Quinn again, this time with _her_ eyes narrowed. "I'm not one to take threats like that so lightly, but considering you're Britt's best friend, I'll let it slide." I watched as the two exchanged glares until they both broke out in smiles and started laughing again.

"What on Earth?" Kurt exclaimed as we all watched their interactions.

"Yeah Britt, I like this one." Quinn smiled and turned to me. "Finally someone who can keep up with my teasing; she even gives snarky comebacks, I love it!" I felt Santana's body ease against mine, I knew that what Quinn had just said was something she's been hoping to hear.

"See, I told you didn't have anything to worry about." I whispered in Santana's ear as the rest of the group went to order some drinks.

"Yeah, I guess." Santana shrugged with a smile. "For a second there though, she had me really worried." I laughed at the seriousness in her voice.

"She's harmless." I replied. "Well as long as you don't mess with me or Bella, after that she goes into like crazy lion mode."

"Huh, sounds fun." She said sarcastically then turned to retrieve the drink that she had ordered and took a sip. "Damn, that's strong." She winced then took another sip.

"Hey, I've reserved a table in the back corner over there." Blaine said as he pointed over to a large booth. We all followed him back to the area as we shed our jackets and sat to finish our drinks before going out to dance. Kurt and Blaine were the first to finish and were soon out on the dance floor while Santana and I sat across Sam and Quinn.

"Th-this is such a n-nice place, don't y-you think so baby?" Quinn stammered as she rested her head on Sam's shoulder, waving her nearly empty glass in the air at all the decorations. "L-Look at all the pretty things, I wish I l-lived here.."

"Really, already?" Sam laughed as he took the glass from Quinn's hand and set it on the table. "We've only been here for like an hour and you're already slurring." The three of us laughed at Quinn's speech as she tried to explain herself.

"Yeah, Quinn was never all that good at pacing herself." I told Santana as she snickered into her fist attempting to hide her laughter from Quinn. I looked over at Santana's cup and noticed that hers was almost empty too. "You want another?" I asked and motioned to her glass.

"Mm, maybe later..I'm _pacing_ myself." She winked at me, making me blush then reached for my hand. "Come dance with me." I nodded and let her pull me out of the booth to the dance floor.

"You guys coming?" I called over my shoulder to the two blondes.

"Hell yes, I wanna dance!" Quinn cheered and pulled Sam with her to dance.

"Ooh, I love this song!" Santana said with a wide grin. "Love Rihanna's music!" I hadn't really been listening to the music, too focused on how close the Latina's body was to mine as she started dancing with me. I was tense at first, which was weird because I'm never tense when it comes to dancing, but realizing that I have never danced _with _Santana before sort of put me on edge. But, when I familiar beat carried to my ears, I instantly felt myself ease a bit as the sounds took over my body.

"Yeah, I like this song too!" I replied and placed my hands on her hips as we started swaying to the beat. "It was on Pitch Perfect, right?" Santana smiled then nodded to my question.

_Feels so good being bad  
There's no way I'm turning back  
Now the pain is for pleasure, 'cause nothing can measure  
Love is great, love is fine  
Out the box, out of line  
The affliction of the feeling leaves me wanting more._

Santana threw her arms around my neck and pressed into me even closer as she sang along with the music, her raspy voice sending chills along the back of my neck as she sang into my ear. I was starting to feel extremely hot , wasn't sure if it was just because there were so many people out dancing at one time or the fact that Santana's leg had somehow slipped between my own as we continued to dance. "S-San.." I whined when her leg hit a little harder against my throbbing center. __

'Cause I may be bad, but I'm perfectly good at it  
Sex in the air, I don't care, I love the smell of it  
Sticks and stones may break my bones,  
But chains and whips excite me.

The friction of her leg on my core was beginning to be too much so I smoothly positioned myself in front of her and pushed my ass into her front as her arms hung loosely over my shoulders as we stayed moving to the beat. "Fuck, Britt.." I heard her moan a little out of breath when I slid up slowly against her thighs. I smirked knowing that I could tease her just as well as she teased me. She was still singing along with the music when I snuck a peek up at her. She smiled down at me and soon she was spinning me around so that I was facing her again. Something about the way she was looking at me, and how she just licked her lips, really triggered something in me. I crashed our lips together and threaded my fingers into her hair as she delved into my mouth with her tongue.

_Na-na-na come on, come on  
Come on, I like it, like it  
Come on, come on, come on_

"Y-you are so fucking sexy right now.." Santana husked as I pulled away from her lips and started peppering her neck with kisses. I looked up to see her eyes half lidded as she bit down on her lip, groaning. Somehow we kept our bodies moving along with the beat even though we definitely weren't listening to the song anymore, too focused on kissing every inch of her neck that I could. I heard her whimper as I sucked lightly just below her earlobe, the sound instantly sent me in a frenzy.

_I like it, like it [Na-na-na] come on  
Come on, come on, I like it, like it  
Come on, come on, come on  
I like it, like it._

Her hands were sliding all over my back as I continued my assault on her neck. It didn't occur to me that we had stopped dancing all together and was now standing in the middle of the crowd kissing the crap out of each other. I took a glance up and saw a couple guys staring at us with their jaws dropped and drool practically pouring out.

"Uh-I-We should stop, people are staring." I whispered and began pulling away.

"Awh, it was just getting good too!" Santana smirked then kissed my lips one last time. "I think I need that drink now though."

"Alright, let's go!" I said and hooked her arm with mine as we walked past Quinn and Sam.

"I d-did not appreciate you two p-practically eye fucking in front of m-me like that!" Quinn laughed as she threw her arms around Sam's neck and swayed with him. "I-I had to cover Sam's eyes it was so i-i-inappropriate!" Sam looked over at me with a knowing look and shook his head.

"Britt, you know I only have eyes for this crazy." He said sternly and nodded to the drunken Quinn. Me and Santana laughed at the couple and made our way to the bar where Kurt was already standing.

"Wow Britt, Quinn is definitely so much more fun when she's drunk." Kurt laughed and nodded to Quinn who was shaking her short hair to and fro while attempting to climb Sam like a ladder.

"Yeah, she's funny." Santana snickered and proceeded to order some shots for us three then handed them to each of us along with some salt and limes.

"Shots! Shots! Shots!" Kurt chanted as we sprinkled salt on our thumbs and took a lime wedge in our other hand. I wasn't sure what type of alcohol it was when Santana handed me the glass, but from what accompanied the shot had me thinking it was Tequila.

"Cheers!" Santana yelled as we all licked off the salt, bit the lime then emptied our glasses. I never liked Tequila, it burned, I was more partial to fruity drinks. Hard liquor was definitely not my thing. "Another?" Santana asked seeming not the least bit fazed by the shot.

"None for me, too strong." I mumbled and set the glass down on the bar counter while Santana ordered her and Kurt another. The bartender handed her the two glasses, but instead of sprinkling salt on her hand, she reached for mine.

"Let me see your hand." She husked, the tone of her voice persuading me to do anything she wanted. I gave her my right then she turned it sideways, and then brought the side of my thumb to her lips. I stared at her mouth with such an intense gaze until her tongue poked out and slid across my skin. I felt my whole body catch on fire, I almost felt like I was going to pass out she was too sexy. I gulped, the air in my lungs suddenly feeling trapped as my heart banged in my chest. She sprinkled salt on the wet area and smirked before looking back over at Kurt.

"That was-uh-nope, I'm gay." Kurt stammered then clinked his glass with Santana's. She stared up at me with lust filled eyes as she slowly ran her tongue along my skin again, and then bit down on the lime before tossing back the liquid.

"Yum." She winked then leaned forward to kiss my lips. I was still partially stunned by what just happened that I could barely move my lips to return the kiss. She was being so affectionate, I mean she usually was, but tonight she was a little extra affectionate. I blame the alcohol, or rather thank the alcohol. "Let's go back to dance." She whispered and pulled me to the dance floor with Kurt trailing a little behind until Blaine pulled him to dance too. It didn't take long for me to notice Santana's half lidded eyes, the strong alcohol slowly taking its effect on the girl. "Mm, Britt-Britt you're so p-pretty." She slurred as she continued to sway against me. I couldn't help but smile at how cute she sounded when she was drunk, she was definitely a lot more loving.

"H-Hey I'm going to the bathroom with Kurt, you need to go?" Quinn asked as she stumbled over, clinging to Kurt like her life depended on it.

"Oh, I do!" Santana squeaked the leaned up to peck me on the cheek. "I-I'll be b-back.." The three of them left to the bathroom, leaving me alone on the dance floor. I was going to walk over to dance with Blaine or something but noticed that he and Sam were standing near the bar. I really felt like dancing still so I just stayed where I was and danced alone. I didn't mind doing that; it's sort of my job. I moved along to the beat until some guy walked up to me.

"D-do you want to dance?" He asked nervously. One dance wouldn't hurt no one, and I doubt Santana would get jealous or anything since I'm gay and this is a _guy_ I'd be dancing with. I shrugged and decided to dance with him. We mostly kept our distance, our moves never turning too sexual as we danced which was surprising because most guys would try groping everything. He didn't even put his hands on my waist or anything! I mean, I'm glad he didn't but it would be okay if he did. I'm used to dancing close to people all the time; it's just dancing to me, nothing more. Well, except for with Santana, _that_ was definitely something more! I smiled at the thoughts of how Santana and I were dancing earlier, just so damn hot. The way her voice sounded when she was singing, it's like I can still hear her.

"Hey asshole, fuck off!"

I snapped my head up when I heard the voice. Yeah, that one belonged to Santana.

"Get your dirty fucking hands off of her." I watched as Santana sort of shoved the guy away. I felt bad for him because like I said, he wasn't touching me _at all_.

"Santana, be nice!" Kurt chastised as he and Quinn followed up behind Santana. I looked back at the guy I was previously dancing with and mouthed a 'sorry' as he walked off a little hurt then turned back to Santana and grinned.

"Someone's a tiny bit jealous.." I cooed and went to pull Santana to me. She wrapped her arms around my torso and buried her face into my chest.

"I-I-I don't like it when other p-people d-dance wi-with you.." Her voice sounded crackly, almost like she was-

"Hey, why are you crying?" I asked softly when she picked her head up from my chest and there were tears in her eyes. "I'm gay; San, dancing with boys has literally no effect on me."

"I-I still d-don't like it.." Santana pouted and sniffled a little.

I looked over to Kurt for help. "I-I don't understand.."

"Yeah..I meant to tell you, "Kurt began with a laugh, "Santana's sort of an emotional drunk." I looked to him with brows furrowed waiting for a further explanation. "She-uh-gets super sensitive and starts crying over anything, especially when she does shots."

"I-I-I do n-not!" Santana defended as a new set of tears rolled down her cheeks. She clung to me tighter as she continued to cry.

"My point exactly." Kurt replied. "Come on, I'll take you two home. You might want to stay with her; she's a mess when she's like this."

"Just take them back to the apartment, "Sam said as he walked over with Blaine. "Britt can find medicine or whatever Santana might need if she's at a familiar place." I nodded in agreement.

"Alright, I'll be back." Kurt said walked back over to the booth so we could slip our jackets on. Santana was still a little upset, but her tears weren't coming down as hard as earlier.

"Here, let's put this on you." I said softly to the girl as I helped her into her leather jacket.

"A-Are you m-mad at me?" She asked softly, a pout forming on her lips as she looked up at me.

"No, why would you think that?" I asked as I slid on my own coat.

"C-Cause I-I didn't l-let that g-guy dance with you.." She stuttered.

"San, you were such a better dancer than he was." I replied with a smile. "I'd never be mad at you for something like that.." She smiled up at me with red eyes then fell into me, her arms snaking around my waist again. "I love extra cuddly San, she's the best." I laughed then draped my arm around her shoulders and helped her out to Kurt's car.

"Sit in the back with her, "Kurt said as he opened the back door. "Just in case she doesn't feel good or something." I nodded and slide alongside the Latina. She rested her head on my shoulder as Kurt drove off. We pulled up to the apartment I record time but I noticed Santana's eyes were closed now.

"You need help getting her up?" Kurt asked as he opened the car door for me.

"Mm, nah I think I've got her." I answered and carefully slid Santana out of the car and picked her up. She was surprisingly very light, not saying she looked fat or anything, but I'm so used to carrying Bella and all.

"You're going to carry her the whole way up?!" Kurt gasped but I just shook my head.

"I'm going to use the elevator, I'll be fine." He nodded as I walked off to the apartment. Once inside, the bright lights of the lobby seemed to cause Santana's eyes to open slightly.

"Am I in heaven?" She mumbled lazily as the bell of the elevator door rang. I looked down at her strangely but shrugged it off thinking she was just sleep talking. "I'm being carried by an angel, I just know it." I felt my cheeks go red as she smiled sheepishly at me.

"You're so silly." I laughed quietly then stepped out of the elevator doors when we got to our floor. "I'm setting you down for a sec, I need to unlock the door." She nodded against my shoulder as she leaned against the wall trying to support herself. "Okay, it's opened." I said and helped her inside to my room. "I'm going to find you some clothes to change into, just sit here." I walked her to the edge of my bed and guided her to sit as I shuffled through my drawers to find something to wear.

"B-Britt, I think I'm gunna-"

Santana quickly shot up from the bed and ran to my bathroom, hurling herself at the toilet. I heard the heaving and made my way to her side, pulling back her hair and rubbing soothingly at her back. "It's okay, baby, let it out." I cooed as she continued to empty her stomach. When she was finished I gave her an extra tooth brush and set some extra clothes for her on the toilet as I went out of the room to change my own clothes. I entered the bathroom later to see that she was changed into my baby blue duck shorts and grey vneck. It was cute how my clothes didn't really fit her body tight, but I loved the thought of her in _my_ clothes. "You can sleep in my bed; I'll just take the couch." I guided her to my bed then draped the covers over her body. "Here's some water right here and I've got a trash can for you on the floor just in case." She nodded sleepily then curled her hands under my pillow. I leaned down and pressed a goodnight kiss to her forehead before almost walking out to the living room.

"Britt.." I heard her call so quietly that I couldn't tell if I really heard my name or not.

"Mhm?" I mumbled as I spun around to look over to her.

"Sleep with me." I gulped when I heard the words leave her mouth.

"I-uh-I can't, n-not when you're like this.." I stammered as I walked up beside her. Even in her half sleep half drunken haze she still seemed to smirk.

"Not that, silly.." She mumbled then looked up at me. "I want you to hold me, I don't want to sleep alone i-if I know you're just a r-room away from me." How could I say no to her when she sounded so adorable?

"Okay." I muttered then made my way around to the other side of the bed then slowly slid under the sheets to her. She rolled over to face me as I wrapped my arms around her torso and snuggled into her. I let out a content sigh when I felt her nuzzling into my neck as she pulled me closer to her.

"Goodnight, San." I said quietly and kissed the top of her head as I began to shut my eyes.

"I heard what you called me earlier.." She whispered, her lips tickling against my neck. I looked down at her confused.

"I don't know what you mean.." I replied as I tried to remember but couldn't; I only call her San or Santana. "I can't remember." I mumbled in disappointment.

"That's okay, I do." She said softly. There was a long pause so I assumed that she had already fallen asleep, but she muttered one last thing that had me smiling for the rest of the night and even in my sleep probably.

"Goodnight, _baby.._"

* * *

A/N Sorry my updates are turning to every other day, finals are really starting to kick my ass. I know I said sexy times _might_ happen in ch 23 or ch 24, but it really wouldn't seem right considering the pace right now. But who knows, I just might surprise you! ( ; Anyway, tell me what you're thinking! Thanks for all the love here & on Tumblr


	23. Chapter 23 LoveBirds

CHAPTER 23

_The Next Morning;_

I don't think I've ever slept so well after a night out like last night considering how much alcohol was involved. Actually now that I think of it, I didn't really drink all that much, at least not as much as Quinn and Santana. I pouted a little realizing that I wasn't tired anymore and that my sleepover with Santana was going to be over as soon as I open my eyes. I didn't want it to be over though; I wanted to lay here with her forever. I moved my arm slightly just to make sure Santana was still in fact in my arms. She was; I ran my hand over the small of her back memorizing the little dips and grooves. Her shirt must've ridden up because I felt the warmth of her soft skin against my fingertips. Her soft humming, the way her chest rose and fell at each breath she took, the warmth radiating off her body, and the cute mumbling noises she made; I wanted it to last forever.

So I willed my eyes to stay closed, hoping that by not opening them I'd fall back asleep just a little bit longer. Instead, I felt her shift slightly against my body. Then it hit me; what if she wasn't comfortable with this closeness? I mean, she was drunk last night, was she okay with sleeping over? Was she okay with sharing the bed? The thoughts flooded my brain making it even harder for me to fall back asleep. But it was too late, Santana was awake now.

"Mm, Britt.." I heard her mumble as she shuffled closer to me, her grip around my shoulder tightening. I reluctantly opened my eyes and found that her eyes were still closed. A content smile played on her lips as she continued her soft humming noises. Yeah, she definitely was still beautiful, even in her sleep. I stared down at her, watching as the corners of her mouth would twitch every so often, probably tired from smiling. I looked down and noticed that at some point in the night she had entangled her legs with mine and now our bodies were completely flush. I followed up her body until I landed back on her closed eyes. Man, have I said how beautiful this girl is? I wish I could take a picture of her right now with my eyes so that whenever we're apart I could look at it and it'll make my day so much better. Her lips parted a little as she let out a content sigh. I smiled down at her; she was just too adorable sometimes. I couldn't stop myself; I ended up leaned down a little and pressed my lips to hers gently before pulling away. "Britt.." She mumbled again, this time her eyes fluttered open.

"Morning Sunshine," I whispered happily, "Sorry I woke you, you looked really cute. I just had to.." She smiled that one special smile as she stared up at me with her deep brown eyes.

"No need to be sorry, "She replied her voice still sounding a little raspy from just waking up, "I wish I could wake up like that all the time." I grinned goofily at her and hugged her tighter.

"So you're okay with sleeping over? In the same bed?" I asked lightly, afraid what her answer might be.

"I might've been a little drunk last night, because my head is pounding like a fucking drummer boy at Christmas time right now, but I was completely aware of what I was asking you. I didn't want you sleeping by yourself out in the living room, in the dark and I know how you feel about the dark, when you could just sleep here with me."

"I guess you're right," I sighed and smiled down at her, our eyes locking for a moment.

"You _guess_ I'm right?" She smirked then tickled her fingers up my sides along my ribcage. "I _am_ right." I jolted away from her fingers tickling my sides, but she just rolled closer to me.

"S-San, stop, th-that tickles!" I half squeaked half laughed as she continued running her fingers along my ribcage. "S-S-Saaan!"

"Who knew you were so ticklish!" She laughed then went for my secret tickle spots that weren't so secret now thanks to Bella. I was trying my hardest to get away from her hands, but they were just too fast! I ended up rolling on top of her and pinning her wrists above her head.

"Got you!" I said all out of breath from laughing so hard. "I could've sworn you said you had a headache earlier, were you lying?" I smirked down at her; her eyes darkening with lust, her lips slightly parted, her dark brown hair sprawled over my pillow.

"Britt, you do realize that you're sitting on top of me, pinning my arms back, right?" She asked with a little grin. "It's getting really difficult for me to-uh-control my temptations.." I looked down at her confused. Temptations? What temptations?

"I don't ge-"

She bucked her hips into my center, hitting my bundles of nerves perfectly to where I felt myself shudder. It felt really good and she only did it once. I had to let her wrists go and brace myself on the headboard it was just _that_ good!

"Those temptations.." She smirked then patted my thighs with her now freed hands. "And by the way, I'm usually a top." I let out a small giggle as I rolled off of her and collapsed beside her.

"Weird, so am I.." I answered as I propped myself up on my arm to look at her. She quirked an eyebrow at me then licked her lips.

"Well I guess we're going to have some problems then." She smiled and wiggled closer to me so that we were just inches away from each other.

"Tons of problems," I groaned playfully, "you'll be screaming problems when I'm done." She bit down on her lip and closed her eyes, probably trying to push away all the dirty thoughts like I was. "Sorry, damn those _temptations_.." I leaned over and kissed the tip of her nose before rolling out of bed.

"Awh, where are you going?" She whined and scooted over to the part of the bed that I was just occupying. "I'm cold now.."

"I think Sam's making breakfast, I smell bacon." I said and walked over to my dresser to put on some socks. I looked over to Santana and saw her staring at me with a pout. I smiled at her as I walked back over to my side of the bed where she was lying. "You're not hungry?" I asked as I set my hands on the mattress and leaned over her.

"Nope, I just wanna get my cuddlez on.." She answered then threw her arms around my shoulders and tugged me to her. I ended up head butting her on accident since she threw off my balance. We both pulled back and rubbed our foreheads.

"See, look what you did." I teased as I rubbed the sore area.

"Some things never change, do they?" She laughed then sat up. "That's definitely not going to help my hangover.."

"I'll get you some medicine after we eat." I answered then leaned forward to press my lips lightly to where our foreheads bumped. "All better now." I said happily and pulled her up off the bed. "Now let's eat, I'm starved."

As we walked out I found Sam was in the kitchen cooking breakfast with Quinn sitting on the bar stool with her head down on the counter.

"Morning ladies," Sam called as we entered the kitchen and sat on the stools next to Quinn. "How you guys feeling?" I looked over at Quinn; her short hair was all disheveled and heard her mumbling but it was too low for me to hear. I looked over to Santana; her hair was looking just as messy as Quinn's but she didn't look as much in pain. Me; I felt fine, great actually!

"I'm good." I answered happily. "San's got a little headache but I'll give her some medicine after we eat."

"Nice, now I'm not the only not hungover one." Sam chuckled and piled a plate with pancakes. I noticed Quinn picking her head up from the table then looked over at me and Santana with half lidded eyes.

"Ha, you look like shit." Quinn laughed weakly as she glanced at Santana. I was sitting between them thinking, 'great, here we go again.' "I didn't know miss perfect ass could ever look like shit."

"You don't look so hot either, angel face." Santana teased back. "And I'm flattered that you think my ass is _perfect_, but I'm sort of a one woman kind of girl." Quinn propped her head up on her hand and shook her head, laughing lightly.

"And I'm flattered that you think I have an _angel face, _are you insinuating that I'm sent from heaven?" Santana let out a breathy laugh as she shook her head this time.

"I'm not sure if I should be worried about this weird bonding thing you guys have got going on right now.." I mumbled after watching them banter.

"It's all in good fun, Britt." Quinn answered. "I'm just testing her." I looked over to Santana to make sure she didn't feel uncomfortable.

"Yeah, I'm just rolling with the punches.."

"YOU'VE BEEN HITTING HER?" I yelled to Quinn. She gripped her ears with cupped hands and furrowed her brow.

"Don't yell.." Quinn whined with her eyes closed. I felt Santana rub slightly on my arm, making me turn to look at her.

"It was a figure of speech, Britt." Santana explained with a soft smile. "Besides, I doubt Quinn's much of a fighter." She teased again and nodded to Quinn. "She's got skinny arms."

"Watch it Lopez, I may be hungover right now and in pain, but I will still come over there if I have too." Quinn grumbled as she slowly slid her hands away from her ears.

"Alright, enough with all the sexual tension in the room." Sam joked as he carried over spare plates and forks. "Breakfast is ready." He spun back around and brought over a plate piled high with pancakes, a platter filled with _tons_ of bacon, and another with just scrambled eggs and toast. "You guys want coffee?"

Quinn and I both groaned, "No, no coffee for us." Santana shot me a confused look as she asked Sam for some.

"Oh, is it because you work at a coffee shop?" She laughed as I nodded. "Makes sense."

"Can I have apple juice?" I asked Sam politely.

"Hey, you're not hungover and my boyfriend's not your personal slave.." Quinn mumbled as she piled her plate with food.

"Hey, eat your bacon fatty." I shot back playfully as Sam set down a glass full of apple juice in front of me with a laugh. "Thank you, Sammy."

"Damn, there's so much bacon." Santana gasped as she went over to fork some on her plate. "Like did you cook a whole package?"

"A package and a half actually." Sam answered as he helped Quinn fix her plate. "My baby loves her some bacon." I smiled over at the two as he leaned in to kiss her.

"So freaking charming." Santana said as she reached for the pancakes. I grabbed for the plate and started laying some down on her plate.

"And _my _baby loves her some pancakes." I said sweetly as she watched me pile her plate. She giggled and leaned in to press a kiss to my cheek. My heart fluttered just hearing the new pet name leave my lips.

"And _my_ baby would be right about that." She replied as she poured syrup all over her plate.

"Bleh, I'm trying to eat over here!" Quinn teased playfully. "Just kidding, you two are super cute. I just can't even.." I rolled my eyes and went back to eating. "Oh, do you guys want to come with me later when I pick Bella up? I'm going to Mercedes' around 3." I looked over to Santana and she just nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, sure." I answered as I shoveled more food into my mouth.

"Cool, we can swing by the bakery on the way back so I can order Bella's cake."

"Cake for what?" Santana asked as she sipped on her coffee.

"Bella's birthday; she's turning 5 next week. My baby girl's getting so old." Quinn replied with a little pout. "And I guess since Bella just _loves_ you for some strange reason she'll want you to come." She teased as she chomped on a piece of bacon. "Oh, and Britt seems to like you a lot too so I guess I _have_ to invite you." I found myself laughing at Quinn's sarcasm and looked over to see Santana snickering as well.

"Well, I'd love to go Quinn thanks for inviting me." Santana answered just as sarcastically sweet as Quinn's tone. I couldn't understand why the two loved picking on each other so much, but I couldn't be happier that they were getting along.

"Also, I hear that you and Noah are super close and considering he is the father of my child-"

"Hold up, what?" Santana gasped as she held a hand in the air. "_You're_ his baby mama?" I couldn't quite remembering if I had ever said anything about Quinn and Noah's past, but seeing how Santana acted, I guess not.

"Yes, Bella is his daughter." Quinn huffed. "And this will be his first time meeting her so I guess it would be nice if you could make sure he's okay." She added with a shrug as she kept her eyes lowered to her plate.

"Wow, I would've never guessed that.." Santana sighed then leaned to me. "So that's why he acted all weird the night me and Brooke broke up?" I nodded slightly hoping she wouldn't be mad that I didn't tell her anything.

"He didn't talk to you about it?" I asked while Sam and Quinn talked on the other side of me.

"No, he's usually pretty open about what bothers him but he never talked about _this_ before." She answered with a shrug. "He's going to be a nervous wreck, I'm totally calling it." She laughed then went to stack our dirty plates on top of each other as she stood to carry them to the sink.

"I got it, you sit." I said, stopping her and taking the plates away. "Guests don't clean.."

"I've cleaned up before, Christmas Eve?"

"That didn't count though, you weren't hungover." I teased and went to pull her with me back to my bedroom.

"Which round are you guys going on now? 6?" Quinn teased as we walked off. I voted to ignore her, but Santana smirked over her shoulder to the other blonde.

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know!" She replied then shut the door behind us. I turned around and smiled down at her.

"I like that you and Quinn are getting along so well, she never joked like that with other girls I've dated." I took a step closer to her and set my hands on her hips, pulling her closer to me.

"Oh? Is that right?" Santana asked with a smirk as she wrapped her arms around my neck. "I guess that means I'm pretty special then, huh?"

"I guess so." I answered with a smile and leaned down to crash our lips together. It was crazy how intense our kissing got when my intention was to just stop at one peck. Now I've got Santana's legs wrapped around my waist, her arms still clinging tightly to my neck, as I had my hands under her thighs and pushed into her against the closed bedroom door. Her hands slid from around my neck to cup my cheeks as she kissed me deeply. Our lips worked together as our breathing started to become labored. Another groan came from her lips and vibrated against mine as our tongues danced. Have I mentioned how much I love making out with Santana? She was such a damn good kisser; how Brooke would even consider cheating on her is beyond me. I took her bottom lip between my teeth and tugged on it gently before allowing her to trail kisses along my jaw. Now it was my turn to whine with arousal as she kissed further and further up my neck. It was getting hot again, that kind of hot where if I didn't stop now I wouldn't be able to control myself. I pulled back reluctantly and rested my forehead against hers and tried to catch my breath. "This really isn't going to help your headache.."

"Oh, it's helping just fine." She answered sweetly then connected our lips for a chaste kiss. "But I _do_ recall coming in here for medicine though.." I pressed my lips together and nodded.

"Right, medicine." I said and set her back down on the floor, letting my hands glide from the backs of her thighs slowly. "Must've gotten distracted."

"Mm, damn those distractions.." she smiled and walked over to sit on the edge of my bed as I left to search my medicine cabinet for some Tylenol.

"Alright, here you go." I said as I handed the pills to her along with the fresh glass of water.

"Thanks, baby." She grinned as she took the pills and downed some water. I felt all giddy again just hearing her call me that.

"You're welcome." I replied bashfully as I took her glass and set it on the night stand. "Well, it's 1:30 right now, and I doubt you want to leave the house in my pajamas, though you look super cute in my clothes," She laughed as she looked down at her borrowed shorts and picked at them hem before looking back up at me. "Did you want to go home and change first? Or you could take a shower here and you can borrow some clothes that aren't pajamas.."

"Mm, I'll just shower here. I don't really feel like going home then coming back." She answered with a grin.

"Oh okay, you can shower first then while I look for some clothes for you." I replied and made my way to my closet. "Though you might have to roll the hems of my jeans up since they'll be longer on you.." She laughed the cutest laugh then shrugged. "Okay, I'll get you a towel." I went out to the hallway closet near Quinn's room and pulled out a couple towels then walked back to my room and closed the door. I was surprised to see Santana was already in the bathroom with the water running. The door was still cracked though, so I walked over and pushed it open without knocking. "Here's your-oh shit!" I squeezed my eyes shut as soon as I saw the contours of Santana's shirtless back. Why was she undressing with the door still open?! I should've knocked! Ugh.

"Calm down, Britt, I still have my bra on." I heard Santana laugh. I slowly opened my eyes as she took the towel from me. My eyes unashamedly trailed down her topless front; it took so much in me not to lunge for her and layer kisses all over her toned stomach. I was finding it harder and harder to breathe the longer she stood there. "Are you going to give me the towel or continue to drool?" She teased as she tugged harder on the towel that I had subconsciously put the death grip on.

"Oh, sorry." I mumbled and let go of the towel. "Sorry.." I stuttered a second time and spun around with the door closed after me. I sank down on my bed trying to push the thoughts of all the things I would do to her perfect body before getting back up and searching for some clothes for her and myself. I found some dark blue skinny jeans that I had shrunk in the wash and a baby blue hoodie for Santana, and for me; black jeans and a cream colored knit sweater with dark brown stripes. I heard the water shut off so I gathered Santana's clothes and tapped on the door. "I've got your clothes here." I yelled through the door.

"Okay, one sec." She answered then soon the door knob twisted open and the door cracked. Though she was attempting to hide behind the door, I could still see half her towel covered body perfectly. I bit down on my lip hoping that I would let _temptations_ get the best of me and handed over the clothes. "Thanks!" she said sweetly then closed the door. She emerged moments later in my clothes while I waited on the edge of my bed with my own pile in my lap. Her hair was still damp as it fell off her shoulder making her look even sexier.

"I like when you wear my clothes." I whispered as she came close enough for me to tug on the strings of the hoodie. She leaned over and caught my lips in hers. "You even smell like me too now." I mumbled against her lips as I caught the scent of my shampoo wafting off her hair.

"Best smell in the world." She cooed then stepped away to ruffle her hair with the towel she had in her hand. I smiled down at my lap timidly then stood up to get showered and changed. When I emerged later, I found Santana curled up on my bed with my pillow in her arms and her eyes closed. I quietly dried my hair with my towel then wiggled in behind her. I curled my arm over her waist and sank into her while she pushed her butt into me so that we were completely flush.

"You still tired, baby?" I whispered as I felt her playing with my fingers that laid flat against her stomach. She shuffled to her back so now I was somewhat hovering over her as she kept smoothing over my hand with her fingers.

"Mm, not really, I just feel like lying with you all day." She mumbled with a soft smile. I looked over at the clock and say it was only 2:20.

"Well, Quinn will probably come in here in like 10 minutes so we can leave to get Bella." I replied. "So we can cuddle for 10 more minutes." I said in a hopeful voice that made Santana snicker.

"Mkay then." She whispered then rolled over to wrap her arms around my waist and nuzzled into my neck as I rubbed softly on her back.

"Alright, put your clothes on, I'm coming in!" Quinn called through the door after the fastest 10 minutes ever. Santana and I reluctantly separated just as Quinn walked in. "Oh, you're actually showered and look somewhat ready to go." Quinn laughed then waved over for us to follow. "Let's go, I miss my baby girl!"

"Where's Sam?" I asked after Santana and I had joined Quinn in the living room.

"Work, he left like 20 minutes ago." Quinn answered as she put on her jacket. "Ready to go?" I looked over to Santana then we both nodded.

30 Minutes Later;

"Did you have fun with Mercedes, baby?" Quinn cooed as Bella clung tightly to the blonde's neck.

"Mhm!" Bella answered happily. "We watched a whole bunch of princess movies and I got to play with her new puppy! Mommy, it's sooo cute! Can we get a puppy too?" Quinn was definitely not an animal person, I mean, she didn't hate pets she just wasn't great at keeping them entertained.

"Uhm, we'll see Bella." She answered vaguely as she strapped her into the car seat while Santana slid in next to her in the back seat.

"Sanny, wouldn't having a puppy be cool?" I took a peek back from the front passenger seat to see Quinn trying to say something to Santana with her eyes.

"Uh, it would be pretty awesome but puppies are a lot of work.." Santana answered smoothly. Bella just nodded thoughtfully.

"Nice cover up, Lopez, I've underestimated you." Quinn teased as she got into the driver's seat and drove towards the bakery near Mercedes'. We pulled up to the bakery minutes later; I stepped out and opened the door for Santana while Quinn unstrapped Bella from her car seat.

"Why thank you." Santana said sweetly as I held out my hand for her to take as she stepped out from the car.

"Gross, Bella, love birds." Quinn teased as she shut the door with Bella in her arms then led the way to the bakery entrance. Santana and I giggled and followed behind her side by side. I felt our hands brush a couple times, each feeling like a jolt of electricity. I could kiss her whenever I wanted, hug her whenever I felt the need to, we even cuddle, but I still wasn't bold enough to hold her hand. I know, it's weird, but to me holding hands is a very couply thing to-

"You don't want to hold my hand?" Santana whispered as our hands brushed again. "You keep pulling away.." Crap, was I? Of course I wanna hold her hand! I smiled down at her and interlocked our fingers and tugged her to me so we were huddle together. It was crazy how perfect her fingers fit between mine, like the spaces were meant for her fingers only. I loved the warmth that came from her palm as I squeezed on her hand a little. I looked over to smile at her again when I noticed she was frowning, not at me, but at the bakery sign.

"What's wrong, baby?" I asked softly and followed her gaze to where she was looking but I didn't really see anything frown worthy.

"Of all the bakeries in New York, Quinn just_ had_ to choose this one.." She sighed and followed Quinn and Bella, tugging on my hand a little as she walked ahead of me. I tried deciphering her words, but I didn't really understand what she meant. Was this a bad place? Were their cakes nasty? I don't know.

"Alright Bella, go hang out with Britts and San while I talk to this nice lady." Quinn said as she set Bella down and made her way over to the young look woman behind the counter. I saw Santana staring at the girl with such an intense gaze; there was definitely something I was missing, but I couldn't think too into it as Bella wrapped her arms around my legs.

"Hey Peanut, do you know what kind of cake you want?" I asked as I scooped the girl up in my arms. Bella giggled and proceeded to talk about all the things she wanted in great detail while I still had my eyes on Santana who was still staring down the girl. I nudged the Latina lightly with my elbow to try and get her attention. "Hey, you okay?" I asked as Bella continued to talk. Santana gave me a weak smile then nodded. "You know her?" I asked and tilted my head to the girl.

"Sort of." She answered softly then quickly changed the subject to talk with Bella. I tried to focus on Santana and Bella's adorable banter, but I was too caught in this tension that was between Santana and that worker.

"Hey, bring Bella here real quick." Quinn called over her shoulder. I nodded and carried Bella over to Quinn with Santana trailing behind me. I handed off the girl to Quinn while I took a step back and went to hold Santana's hand again. This time when she smiled up at me it was a real smile. We got lost in each other's eyes that I pretty much toned out anything Bella and Quinn were discussing with the girl until I heard our names.

"Wait, what?" I mumbled, tearing away from Santana to look over at Bella who was pointing at me.

"Yeah, that's Britty she's my mommy's best friend a-a-and she's my best friend too!" Bella said excitedly to the worker. "A-And that's Sanny, she's Britty's girlfriend..she's really fun and super nice!" I felt my body tense up at Bella's title for Santana and hoped the Latina wouldn't freak out on me. But I ended up smiling and nodding along with Bella so I wouldn't cause a scene. I looked over to Santana and saw she was blushing just as hard as I was. Then I looked back to Bella but the woman's facial expression caught my eyes. She was glaring at Santana. It sort of made me mad the way she looked at her. I just thought maybe she was just a homophobe and tightened my hold on Santana's hand.

"Uh, okay Bella, let's stop embarrassing them now and let the lady get to work on designing your cake." Quinn said to Bella sensing the new tension of the room. "Alright you two, let's go." Quinn said as she turned and walked with Bella out to the car. Neither of us protested the new title, but we still haven't really talked about what our relationship was.

"Britt.." Santana whispered almost inaudibly. I looked down at her staring at the ground as we walked.

"Yeah?" I answered just as quietly.

"A-Are we together, me and you?" She sighed then looked up at me. My breath caught in my lungs; this is definitely not how I pictured this conversation starting. "I mean we do things that couples do, and I know I said I wanted to take things slow and all but-"

"I-uhm, well.." I tried to speak, but the words got caught in my throat then my mind went blank.

"A-Am I your girlfriend?" She asked softly, pulling on my hand to stop me from walking. I turned to face her and watched as her hands fumbled with each other. She was nervous.

"Only if you want to be, San." I answered after a long pause of trying to regain the ability to speak, my voice sounding a little shaky. I had all these romantic ideas for how this whole conversation would be, and this is not how I planned it. I was becoming nervous, afraid that her answer wouldn't be a positive one. "But if you don't-"

"I do." She smiled and took a step closer to me. "I _really_ do." That was the confirmation I needed, everything said after that didn't even matter anymore. She _wanted_ to be with me, she just said it!

"Then I guess you are." I answered confidently and returned the bright smile. We leaned into each other for a chaste kiss as we tried to catch up with Quinn and Bella still walking towards the car.

I don't think I've ever felt so happy before in my life! Well, kissing Santana for the first time was nice. Also, our first date was one of the best days of my life too, but I think this tops all that. After almost 4 months, Santana Lopez was mine. Here, in this rundown part of the city, standing outside some bakery, in the middle of this neglected parking lot with weeds growing from the cracks in the pavement, on one of the coldest days of the month, Santana and I became official. There weren't any huge romantic gestures, we didn't sweep each other off our feet, and we weren't even on a date! But none of that mattered, because I, Brittany Pierce, am now able to call one, Santana Lopez, my girlfriend. Let that be written on billboards and yelled from the tops of the mountains for all to hear!

* * *

A/N Now you see why I couldn't do sexy times this chapter? I mean, I could..but it really wouldn't seem right with the pacing so far. On the plus side, now that the girls are official sexy times are just around the corner now! ;D Oh, and you guys like Quinntana? If you've read my Workin' Girls you can tell that I looove that brotp..

oh, and remember Santana's song card for Brittany? I need some suggestions of what Brittany might want to hear from Santana. Let me know! :D


	24. Chapter 24 Bella's Birthday

A/N Not quite as long as my lasts chapters, but your questions will be answered. Oh, and thank you to all the song suggestions! I actually listened to each one, but after realizing that they all showed a different kind of emotion, I'm just going to do a sort of human ipod type of thing. It'll be funny. It wasn't for this chapter though, but if you guys have anymore ideas tell me! ( :

* * *

CHAPTER 24

_One Week Later, Bella's Birthday;_

I didn't realize how many friends we had until Quinn and I had to reserve both joining rooms of the party area at the restaurant in order to fit everyone. Along with Bella's adult friends, who were really just me and Quinn's friends, Bella had also invited her friends from school, which was practically her whole class because Bella was one popular little girl. Quinn was running around, stressed out as ever, trying to make sure all the guests were seated properly and that Bella was okay. I, on the other hand, was pretty calm and collected. I never really stressed too much about parties; just make sure there's tons of food and good music and everyone will be okay. But Quinn, she was sort of a perfectionist when it came to birthday parties, especially Bella's.

"Hey Britt, have you seen Bella?" Quinn asked as she walked by carrying several colorful gift bags. "Or Noah? Is he and Santana here yet?" She was frantic and it was sort of making my eyes hurt at how fast she was moving around.

"Quinn, relax." I sighed and grabbed on to her shoulders. "Bella's with Kurt and Rachel, and no Noah's not here yet, but San said they're on the way." Quinn eased her body as I answered her questions then nodded.

"Okay, I'm calm." She replied as she took in a deep breath. "Just tell me when they're here, okay?" I nodded as she walked off to greet more guests. I went back to walking around aimlessly, saying 'hi' to people as I walked by, when I felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket.

_Santana: We'll b there in 5, parkin now_

"Well, here we go." I thought to myself and stuck the phone back in my pocket and went to find Quinn. She was standing over by Sam talking with Mercedes when she saw me walking over.

"Are they here?" She asked anxiously as she half jogged the rest of the distance to me. I understand Bella meeting her father, well she wouldn't know it's him, for the first time can be stressful but it doesn't have to be _this_ stressful.

"Quinn, deep breaths." I teased and brought my hand up to rub her back comfortingly. "San said they're parking right now and they'll be here in like 5 minutes." I watched as she struggled to stay composed and nodded. "Just stay calm, Q, me and Sam will be here if you need us." She gave a weak nod then ran her fingers through her choppy hair.

"Alright, I'll go get Bella. Just introduce them to people when they get in." Quinn instructed as she walked off to find Bella. I watched as she made her way through the crowd until I couldn't see her blonde head bobbing amongst the crowd. I looked down at my phone and saw that it had been 4 minutes already so I decided to make my way to entrance of the party room. Just as I neared the double doors, Santana and Noah appeared wielding gifts. The two were dressed very nice; Noah in dark gray dress pants with a black button up tucked in and the sleeves rolled up and Santana in a red and black plaid skirt with a black scoop neck shirt tucked in with her hair pulled back a little by a black bowed hair band. They were definitely a little overdressed for a _now_ 5 year old's birthday party, but I wasn't going to make a big deal over it. At least they didn't show up in sweat pants and a dirty tank top!

"I see someone's used to attending super fancy parties." I teased with a little giggle, The pair turned to look at each other's outfits. "Hi, baby, you look very nice." I greeted then leaned in to give my _girlfriend_ a kiss on the cheek before reaching for her gifts. She blushed a little then licked her lips.

"Hey, what about me?" Noah whined playfully.

"You also look very handsome." I replied with a laugh.

"Thanks, we weren't sure what the dress code was so.." Santana started as she glanced over at other people's attire.

"I guess we went a bit over; at least you're not in dress pants right now." Noah said nervously and he unbuttoned the first couple buttons of his shirt. "Good thing I took that tie off in the car." He gave a weak smile then held up his gift with a shaky hand. "Damn, why am I so nervous? This is for Bella." He laughed as I took the gift from him.

"No worries, guys, I doubt people are going make a big deal out of what you're wearing." I said trying to ease the tension. "Come, I'll introduce you to some people while Quinn gets Bella."

"Oh my God, San, I'm meeting my daughter today..I think I'm going to have a panic attack." Noah said as he looked over to Santana with anxious eyes. "What the hell, what if she doesn't like me?" Wow, I have never seen this side of my boss before, like Santana, he was usually pretty confident, sometimes overly confident, but this was totally out of character.

"Get it together, Puckerman, you're just _meeting_ her, you're not saying that you're her father." Santana replied as she patted on his back a little. I watched the two interact as she continued with her pep talk, they were really good friends, if I didn't know them I'd think they were siblings.

"Alright, everyone just stay calm." I laughed and motioned the two to follow me. "Quinn wanted me to introduce you guys to some people." I stopped over at one table that was filled with some of Bella's 'cousins' which were really just kids of Quinn's friends from her book club that she was a part of. Some of them were as young as about 4 and others were as old as 16. I presented Noah and Santana to the table while I introduced each kid to the two. "And these are my frien-"

"Oh my God, you're Santana Lopez!" One of the older boys squealed. "You own SnixxJuice!" I turned to look at Santana who was nodding with a polite smile. I watched as he turned to his brother and attempted to whisper. "I told you she was hotter in person." Noah and Santana both laughed at the two boys until another girl pointed her finger at Noah.

"And you're Noah Puckerman, you own the place where Rachel Berry sings!" She cheered with excitement. I looked back over at Santana and Noah who were now both sporting giant grins. "Britt, you have so many cool friends!"

"You think so?" I asked and looked over at the two. "They're alright I guess." The group laughed as I started to steer them away from the kids table. "It never occurred to me that I was dating such a celebrity." I whispered into Santana's ear. She shot me a smirk as we continued walking around until I saw Quinn walking over with Bella on her hip. I looked back at Noah and saw that he was growing nervous once again.

"You don't have to worry, Noah, Bella likes everyone; she's really a sweet kid." I said reassuringly as Quinn and Bella were coming closer. I heard Noah let out a low exhale just as Quinn set Bella on the floor. There was a silent conversation between Noah and Quinn until she looked down at Bella and started with the introductions.

"Okay Bella, this is my good friend Noah." Quinn said down to her daughter while Noah crouched down so that he wasn't towering over the little girl. Bella was never shy when it came to meeting new people, so she stuck out her little hand and gave Noah a big grin.

"Hi, my name is Bella." She said sweetly and held her hand out in the air waiting for Noah to shake it, but he didn't make a move, he just sat there staring at her tiny hand. Santana and I looked at each other confused then back down at Noah. "You're supposed to shake it, that's what big kids do." Bella said and wiggled her hand in front of Noah. "Shake it." I brought my hand up to hide my snickering because how could a 5 year old leave this grown man paralyzed. I looked over and saw Santana nudge the back of his to get him to focus but Bella was quick on the interaction. "Sanny, it's not nice to hit.."

"Ooh, someone's in trouble.." I teased the Latina in which she returned with a smirk.

"Oh, sorry." Noah finally spoke and took the little one's hand in his own and shook it softly. "I'm Noah, nice to meet you." Quinn, Santana, and I stared down at the two with smiles on our faces as they had a short conversation about it being her birthday. I've never doubted that Bella was Quinn's because they looked so alike, I even wondered if Quinn hadn't made that baby on her own but that wouldn't be possible, but now that I see Noah and Bella together I could see a little of him in her. Yeah, Bella had Quinn's eyes, hair color, dainty nose, and pettiness, but she also had Noah's complexion. Bella's skin wasn't as dark as Noah's, but she definitely wasn't as pale as Quinn. I always thought it was because Bella was always outside during the summer time and her tan wore off slowly, but seeing Noah there told me something different.

"Well, I have to go see my friends now." Bella said as she turned to her mom. "I'll see you when it's time for cake!" She cheered then allowed her mom to pick her up and walk off. Noah remained crouched for awhile until Santana laid a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her and smiled before standing up fully.

"See, that wasn't so bad." I said with a shrug.

"Well aside from you choking when all she wanted was a handshake." Santana teased while Noah still had this blank look on his face.

"I don't understand." He sighed as he kept his eyes lowered. "How could a fuck up like me help make something as perfect as that little girl? Did you see her, San? She is beautiful. There's no way I could've helped do that." Santana let out a sigh then wrapped an arm around the taller guy's shoulder.

"Here we go again." She drawled out and began to turn him in the direction of the lobby. "I'll be right back, babe." She said over her shoulder as the two of them walked out.

"Since when do you call her _babe_.." I heard Noah breathe as they left for the entrance. I smiled to myself; I guess she hadn't told him the news yet. It's okay though, I haven't told anyone either, but I'm pretty sure Quinn knows. She knows everything. I know when it first happened I wanted to tell everyone, but now that I think about it, I like our private little bubble we have going on. I guess seeing that girl in the bakery and how she scowled at Santana really made me uncomfortable. However, if someone were to ask what our relationship was, we wouldn't deny anything. I still can't believe it actually, it's already been a week and I still get all these fuzzy feelings just thinking about her.

"Britty!" Bella squealed and tugged on the hem of my dress.

"Hey, Peanut, having fun?" I asked as I bent over to scoop her up, noticing that she had changed dresses. "What a cute dress!" I complimented and poked her side.

"Thanks, Britty, Kurt got it for me!" Bella answered and played with the bow of her belt. "Did you see my cake?"

"Cake?" I asked then licked my lips. "I want some cake.." Bella giggled then cupped my cheeks.

"No, you can't eat any yet!" She laughed. "I haven't blown the candles yet and no one's sang me the birthday song!" She replied with her hands moving through the air to emphasis her reasons.

"Ohh, I guess I can wait then." I pouted playfully. "What kind is it?"

"Nilla and chocolate!" She squealed with excitement.

"Yum, my favorite!" I answered with as much enthusiasm. "Let's go take a look at it." I said and started walking over to the main table when I noticed Noah talking with Mike and that one other Asian girl whose name probably started with like a L or G. I shrugged and kept walking when I realized that Santana should be back now too. I looked around and noticed she wasn't here. "We're making a detour real quick, Bells." I said and went to talk to Noah.

"Noah!" Bella squeaked and gave him a bright smile. I watched as Noah's cheeks bunched up at his daughter remembering his name.

"Hey kiddo." He answered with an even brighter smile.

"Hey, where did Santana go?" I asked trying not to sound like I was worried or anything.

"Uh, she said she went to the bathroom." Noah replied. I nodded then went back to the cake. She's only in the bathroom, stop being clingy. I bit down on my lip; why was I worried? I shook the thoughts from my head and stepped to look down at the cake.

"Oh Bella, this cake looks good enough to.." I pretended to lunge for the cake which caused Bella to squeal.

"No Britty, not yet!" Bella protested. I laughed and stood straight up again.

"I know, I'm not gunna eat the cake yet silly."I cooed and turned to look at her but saw that she was staring off at something else. I tried to follow her line of sight, but I didn't really see anything. "What is it, Bella?" I asked still trying to see what she sees.

"I don't like that lady.." She said her voice low which was strange sounding coming from the usually cheery little girl.

"What lady?" I asked and scanned the room full of faces. Bella doesn't not like anyone, who would be at her party that she didn't want to be here?

"That one over there," She pointed out the double doors, "The one talking to Sanny." My heart dropped when I saw who she was pointing at; Brooke.

"Uh-I'm gunna bring you to see Kurt, I think he's got something for you." I said as I kept my eyes on Santana and Brooke. I quickly handed Bella to Kurt as he held out his hands welcomingly.

"Britt, you okay?" Kurt asked as he settled Bella on his lap. "You're looking a little flustered." I was feeling a little hot after seeing that Brooke was, of all places, Bella's birthday. Why would she even need to be here, she definitely wasn't invited!

"Uhm, y-yeah I'm alright." I replied before making my way out the room towards the lobby. Brooke's back was towards me while Santana had her eyes lowered to the floor. I knew Brooke must've been saying something bad just by how Santana refused to look at her which only fueled my anger. As I got closer to the pair, Brooke's words started to become clearer.

"You love _me_ and I love _you_." Brooke said harshly to Santana. It made me sick hearing that, because Brooke obviously didn't love Santana, if she did, she wouldn't have put her through all that bullshit and cheat on her. I was fuming. Brooke really had the nerve to come here and pull something like this? She really couldn't let Santana go. "You know that no one will _ever_ love you as much as I do." That line did it for me. I stepped passed the doors and went straight for Brooke, grabbing onto the material of her jacket then shoved her up against the wall with a loud thud. I could've easily punched the crap out of her seeing that I was bigger and had taken her by surprise, but I decided to just pin her against the wall out of the guests' sight.

"That's a fucking lie." I growled as I held her to the wall, my knuckles turning white at how tight I was gripping her coat. At first she was holding onto my wrists, trying to pry me off, but then dropped her hands to her sides and smirked at me.

"Andwhy do you think that?" She asked sounding amused. Seeing the smirk only made me want to hit her even more, but I couldn't, not here, not at Bella's party. She kept her eyes on me though, like she was searching me for something, trying to read through my thoughts and uncover my secrets. I glared at her, trying to cover the fact that I feel sort of violated by the way she was looking at me, but that only caused her smirk to grow. "Oh, don't tell me _you're _in love with her." She said as she chuckled a bit. "That's cute."

"You don't know shit about love." I snapped, successfully avoiding her statement, but seeing the look in her face only caused me to get even angrier. Yes, I think Santana for me was love at first sight, but I wasn't trying to vocalize that being how early it was in our relationship. I cared deeply for the girl, I'd do anything for her, but professing my love doesn't really scream 'taking it slow' since we've only been official for a week.

"Britt, she's not worth it.." I heard Santana say from behind me, but all I saw right now was red.

"You think she's capable of love?" Brooke asked with another laugh. "You don't even know her."

"I know her much better than you, that's for damn-"

"What the hell is going on here?"

I looked over my shoulder to see Quinn standing next to Santana with her hands on her hips staring at Brooke and I with a puzzled look. She took a step closer, eyeing the girl I had shoved against the wall.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me right now." Quinn laughed as she pushed my hands away to let go of Brooke, causing me to take a step back as she was now the one standing in front of Brooke. "How the hell did you even know they were here?"

"None of your business, Barbie." Brooke replied bitterly causing Quinn to glare back at the girl.

"Remember that girl at the bakery we went to for Bella's cake?" Santana said as she rolled her eyes at the thought. "Yeah, well that happens to be one of Brooke's main sluts." Santana's voice was venomous sounding as she told Quinn what was up. "We got into a few heated discussions a while back because she didn't think it was wrong to sleep with someone else's girlfriend." I watched at how Santana's jaw tightened as she spoke. "She's the one who told her where to find me. Isn't that right, Brooke?"Quinn stared at Santana for a minute then turned her gaze back on Brooke.

"Maybe, maybe not." Brooke answered cryptically with a shrug.

"Bitch, you've got a lot of nerve showing up at, of all places, my daughter's birthday trying to cause some bullshit like this. Can't you see that Santana _does not _want your crazy psycho ass anymore? Damn, get it through your head that she's moved on and is trying to be happy for once!" I stood back and watched Quinn argue, though I've never liked violence, it always amazed me how she could instill so much fear into someone. I guess she's had a lot of practice from our high school days. She was never one to scream at someone, she mostly did this low threatening voice that really scared me; it was almost like she was growling. To my surprise, Brooke's usual cocky self didn't make a move. She just stood there and let Quinn speak. "I can see that you might be a bit jealous of-"

"I'm not fucking jealous of that dumb blon-"

"Woah, there are certain things you do not say around me when referring to my best friend here," Quinn said, cutting her off then nodding towards me. "And one of them would be that particular word." Damn, Quinn can be so scary sometimes! Good thing she's on my side. Brooke huffed and rolled her eyes before letting Quinn continue. "Now as I was saying, I can see that you might be a bit jealous of Brittany because, let's face it, she's a million times better than your selfish ass and she actually cares a lot about Santana." Quinn's voice was sweet but I knew that behind that sweetness was a lot of feistiness. "And considering that Brittany and Santana are sort of a thing now, I feel very protective over them, especially when it comes to skank bitches like you who feel the need to meddle in relationships." I tensed at Quinn's words, _Brittany and Santana are sort of a thing now; _well I guess Quinn _did_ know already! Brooke continued to stay quiet as Quinn went on with her speech while Santana and I stood behind and watched. "And as a mother, you wouldn't want to see how I get when you mess with someone I'm protective over, it's not pretty." Quinn took a step back then crossed her arms over her chest as she cocked her head to the side. "So let this be a warning to you, because next time, if you're ballsy enough to even try again, I won't be _this_ nice. Now get the fuck out of here because it's getting hard to keep myself from beating the shit out of you right now."

Brooke didn't say anything, she didn't even blink. She just stared at Quinn for a moment then pushed herself off the wall and set her eyes on Santana again in that same judging way like she had looked at me earlier. I hadn't liked it so I knew Santana didn't either. It set off something in me and I ended with my arm around Santana's waist and tugging her to my side as I glared back at Brooke who was now scowling.

"Mine." I snarled and pulled Santana even closer as I kept my eyes on Brooke until she huffed and walked out of the building. I didn't realize how on edge she made me feel until she had left the room taking with her all that bad energy. I felt slender arms wrap around my torso and looked down to see Santana smiling up at me. I instantly felt myself melting into her touch, completely forgetting what had just taken place.

"Yours, huh?" She asked with a grin. I blushed when I realized what I had just said to Brooke; I've never gotten possessive over a girl I've dated before like I have with Santana.

"Mhm, mine." I heard her giggle then soon felt her cool hands press against my warm cheeks as she rolled up on her toes and stared at my lips.

"Have I ever told you how hot you are when you get all protective like that?" She said softly, almost purring as her eyes flickered up to meet mine. Now I was getting hot, but for a whole different reason. I instinctively licked my lips the closer she got until the urge to close the distance between us was unbearable.

"Uh, still here guys!" Quinn said, interrupting our collision of lips. "I swear, you two are constantly sucking face." She laughed then turned on her heels. "Come on, it's time to sing 'happy birthday' for Bella." I nodded, remembering that we were still at Bella's party and went to follow Quinn when I felt my arm being tugged back until I had spun back around fully. Santana smirked and captured my lips with hers. It was soft like always, even tingly the way she ran her tongue along my lip gently before sinking back to the ground.

"Thanks for sticking up for me, again.." She smiled as she linked our fingers together.

"Of course, that's what _girlfriends_ do." I teased then brought our clasped hands to my chest to brush my lips against her knuckles. I watched as she blushed and made a mental note that kissing her hand makes her blush. "Let's go, Bella's probably really anxious about this cake." Santana laughed as we walked back into the room hand in hand, but I had to let go in order to catch Bella who did another running jump at me.

"Britty, it's cake time!" She squealed then reached for Santana. "Sanny, cake!" I handed Bella to Santana and watched as Bella told her just how excited she was about eating cake. I loved how Bella got so enthusiastic about the littlest things, but I loved even more how Santana interacted with Bella. I could see sometimes how Santana could come off to people as bitchy, her words not mine, but if they saw how she was with Bella, they'd think she was a whole different person. Lucky me, I get to see her sweet side all the time because she's never harsh towards me. I don't know just seeing her with Bella makes me think about how great of a mom she would be. Like Quinn, I bet she'd be extremely protective over her loved ones but not to the point where she's smothering them. She would make their lunches and take them to school when it's raining or too cold to stand out at the bus stop. She'd terrorize the crap out of their significant other's when it's time to be introduced. I could even see her reading cute bedtime stories and giving them goodnight kisses. I saw it all and in each little scene that played out in my mind, I pictured myself being the one standing right beside her. I know it's _way_ too early to be thinking that far down the road, but I couldn't help it when I saw how cute she was being with the little girl.

"Where's my daughter?" I heard Quinn say, breaking me out of my daydreaming.

"Here, mommy!" Bella squeaked and raised her hand until Quinn walked over to Santana, taking her from her arms. "Is it time now?" Bella asked anxiously as everyone gathered around the cake.

"Sure is." Quinn smiled then turned to Sam. "Babe, can you light the candles?" Sam nodded and began lighting the 5 candles. After everyone sang happy birthday for the super excited Bella, everyone was seated with their plates of cake. Bella was right, this cake was delicious! I almost wanted another plate, but there wasn't any left.

"You want the rest of mine?" Santana asked as she held out her plate to me. "It's a little too sweet for me."

"You sure?" I asked and waited to take the plate from her hands until she nodded that it was okay. "Well, thanks babe!" I said happily and devoured the slice in record time. "Love cake." I sighed as I looked down at the empty plate, contemplating whether or not I should lick up the crumbs.

"You've got frosting all over you face, B." Santana laughed and went to wipe my chin with a napkin. "Such a messy eater." She bit down on her lip as the words left her mouth then laughed to herself.

"Get your mind out of the gutter; we're at a little kid's party." I teased when I saw her staring at my lips with lust filled eyes.

"Right, I just can't help myself sometimes." She sighed and sat back into her chair then crossed her legs. I did the same then put my empty plate on the table just in time for Bella to hop into my lap.

"Finished your cake already?" I asked then saw Quinn and Sam walk up to us. "You let her eat more than one slice, right?" I asked looking up at the blondes. Quinn rolled her eyes playfully then nodded. "Good, those are the rules." I replied then looked down at Bella. "So, what did you wish for?"

"Oh Britty, it was such a good wish!" Bella squealed as she clapped her hands together.

"What was it?" I asked again, genuinely interested.

"For you and Sanny to be together forever!"

Santana choked on the water she was drinking while my eyeballs were practically popping out of my head. I felt my cheeks burning and my heart pounding. I was shaken from my daze when I kept hearing Santana struggling to breath after choking on her water. She was doubled over coughing loudly so I brought my hand to her back and patted gently while Bella just stared at us like we were crazy. Sam and Quinn just laughed hysterically before Quinn bent down to pick Bella up off my lap.

"What's wrong?" Bella pouted. "What I do?"

"Nothing , baby." Quinn cooed and smiled down at Santana and I once her coughing subsided then walked off.

"Not very subtle, is she?" Santana laughed her voice a little raspy sounding from all the coughing.

"Hey, what Bella wants, Bella gets." I teased and pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek.


	25. Chapter 25 Songs & Uno

A/N Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in a while..now that finals are over I'm back to working double shifts. Joy! Anyway, my updates are going to be once every few days now but expect longer chapters. Not as long as this one, because obviously, this is a _special_ chapter WINK WINK. & for all the song suggestions I received, thank you! Most of them talked about love and the girls aren't really there yet so I had to go with something a little less lovey, but I might work them in for later chapters. Sorry for super long A/N lol

* * *

CHAPTER 25

"I just don't get it Britt," Quinn said as she pushed the shopping cart through the aisle while I followed closely behind with Bella attached to my hand, "she was so feisty that night at Showtimes when she sang Blow Me to Brooke, but at Bella's party she was just.. super quiet." I let out a deep sigh because, once again, Quinn was bringing this back up. Bella's party was 3 days ago, but I still got an earful everyday about how strange Quinn thought Santana acted when Brooke showed up uninvited. I mean, I didn't know what she wanted me to say. I'm not Santana, I don't know what's going on in her head. It's not Santana's fault Brooke is always lurking; obviously being mean or threatening her isn't working, so what else is there to do? "It's just really str-"

"Strange." I huffed angrily, cutting her off. "I know, you've told me a million times already." She stopped pushing the cart and turned to look at me with puzzled eyes. "What? You have." I said, but this time my voice was quieter and I averted my gaze to the floor, feeling a little bad for raising my voice.

"Mommy, you're making Britty sad." Bella scolded as she squeezed on my hand and gave me a smile. I looked at Bella and moved to ruffle her hair.

"She's not making me sad, Peanut." I said with a smile then looked up at Quinn. "She's making me frustrated." Quinn rolled her eyes with a smirk and spun back around to continue pushing the cart down the frozen breakfast section.

"Bella, go get your waffles." Quinn instructed as she went to grab some frozen canned juice. I was leaning on the door closest to the one Quinn was going to open with my arms folded over my torso when she looked over at me with a softened expression. "Britt, I don't mean to frustrate you. I just want to know that I'm not the only one that sees her behavior when it comes to Brooke." I sighed then nodded as she closed to glass door after retrieving what she was looking for.

"Well Q, not everyone can make a person cower just by glaring at them." I replied sarcastically. "Not everyone has had the many years to practice terrorizing like you've had." She shot me a glare as she threw the can in the cart. "Yeah, just like that." I giggled. "But I'm immune to them by now."

"I'm a little hurt, B." She feigned upset as she clutched her chest. "But if she's not going to stand up for herself, someone has to."

"I get you're just trying to look out for me, Q, but she really deserves more credit than you're giving her." I said as I pushed off the glass door and followed her to the cart just as Bella threw in her box of waffles. Bella walked back over to me, reaching her tiny hands up in the air with a big smile. I grinned down at the girl and picked her up, adjusting her on my hip as Quinn started to push the cart again. I quickened my pace so that I was walking side by side with Quinn. "I mean, how would you feel if someone you trusted and loved constantly let you down and now that you're trying to make a better life for yourself, they just keep trying to come back?" She looked over at me then pursed her lips before turning the cart down another aisle.

"I don't know, B, it just doesn't seem like she's trying hard enough. She didn't even-"

"I don't care!" I huffed angrily causing her to stop the cart and turn to me. "She _is_ trying; it may not look like it to you, but she is." I lowered my voice again so I wouldn't cause a scene, plus I still had Bella on my hip and I didn't want to frighten her. "It may not be drastic changes, she might not punch Brooke in the mouth every time she talks down to her, she might not even fully open up to me yet, but I don't care. I still care deeply for her. I know what she's going through is hard, but I'm not going to get angry if she doesn't fight physically fight back. She has a right to feel a little emotional around her; she used to play a big role in her life and she took advantage of that. She hurt her, Quinn, she hurt her a lot." Quinn was staring at me with this blank expression that I couldn't read. I wasn't sure if she was even listening still, but it felt good to finally voice my thoughts so I just kept going. "Our relationship was built on the ruins of that horrible one; she's got a lot of healing to do and I'm willing to help her with all that because instead of running away from her problems like _some_ people, she's at least attempting to confront them." Quinn looked to the floor in guiltily, and I felt a little bad because I knew how she felt about running away from her and Noah's relationship when Bella was born. I knew it was a sensitive spot for her, but I needed to say something that would get her to understand where Santana was coming from. I looked over at Quinn who had picked her head up but was now biting on her lip. I always felt bad when I'd upset Quinn, I just hated seeing her sad. "I-I'm sorry, Q. That was mean of me to say." I apologized softly and rubbed at her back.

"You really love her, don't you? She asked and smiled up at me. I felt my heart stop and my breathing catch in my throat. I stared at her blankly with my lips parted hoping that I'd start breathing normal soon. She just continued to smile.

"I-uh-what? I-no- I mean, I d-don't know.." I stammered nervously trying to look somewhere other than Quinn's judging eyes. "It's a bit too early to be thinking about l-lo-that."

"It's okay, Britt. Love is not something to be afraid of." Quinn replied with a smile as she went back to pushing the cart. I looked down at Bella who was looking a little drowsy with her half lidded eyes struggling to keep awake. I brushed through the back of her blonde hair and pressed her head to my shoulder. She threw her arms around my neck lazily and muttered something beneath her breath that sounded awfully close to, "Don't be silly, Britty." I just smiled and went back to following Quinn. If loving someone meant that you cared about their happiness more than your own then yeah, I love her a lot.

"I guess I do." I said softly after a long pause, not wanting to wake the little one in my arms.

"You do what?" Quinn asked as she reached for a bottle of laundry soap. She looked over her shoulder and smirked at me.

"Love her."

I waited for the teasing or 'I told you so' but nothing came. Only silence. I looked back to her and saw her staring off somewhere else.

"No jokes?" I asked with a little laugh and walked up beside her to see her expression.

"Seriously, this city is too small sometimes." She muttered then rolled her eyes. I looked at her confused as I tried to see what she had looked at.

"What do you mean?" I asked still trying to find what made her say that.

"There, by the coffee makers." Quinn said and subtly nodded to her left. I quickly glanced over my shoulder and instantly groaned at the site.

"You're right." I huffed and turned back around. "At least this time she didn't purposely run into me, but let's get out of her before she spots us." Quinn laughed a little before directing the cart towards the checkout lanes and away from Brooke. We made our way to a relatively short line, and by short I meant 7 people ahead of us.

"You want me to hold her?" Quinn asked as she nodded to Bella. I hadn't realized how numb my arm was so I was grateful for the offer.

"Yeah, she's not a little girl anymore." I cooed then gingerly handed her off to Quinn. I stretched out my arms, trying to get some blood flowing again when I heard my phone ring. I smiled when I heard the familiar sound of Amy Winehouse and dug out my phone from my pocket. "Hey baby!" I greeted happily into the receiver. "How's work?"

"Hi, it's going alright." Her voice came out a like a croak and thought for a second that she might be getting sick, but then I heard a deep exhale.

"What's wrong?" I asked softly though I was so against asking someone that when they're upset, I really didn't like hearing Santana sound that way.

"Remember that kid I signed a couple weeks ago?" Santana asked and I could tell by the sound of her voice she was stressed.

"Uh-huh, what did he do this time? More parties?"

"Oh, something like that." She sighed; I could practically hear her eyes rolling. "The fucker got himself arrested! I'm so stressed out right now, now the media is going to be all over my ass for signing such a moron." I frowned at the harshness in her voice, though it wasn't directed towards me, I still didn't like it.

"It's not your fault though, you didn't know he wasn't going to follow the rules.." I said trying to ease her tension. "Maybe if you say that, no one will bother you? Or I could hide you in my room.." I heard a laugh out of her that time as well as get a disgusted look from Quinn. I stuck my tongue out at Quinn and turned away from her to focus on Santana.

"Your room, huh? Wouldn't that be the first place they'd look?" She asked through a breathy laugh.

"No way, no one but Quinn and Sam even know we're dating."

"Uhm, I'm pretty sure there's a lot more people than just Quinn and Sam." I was puzzled; I hadn't told anyone yet and I don't think she had either, so who else would know? "We aren't very good at keeping secrets..or kissing out of the public's view." I felt my cheeks flush as I thought back to our last kiss.

_2 Days Ago_;

It was the day after Bella's party and I was waiting in the park I usually go to run for Santana. There were a lot of people out today jogging, mainly because it was super sunny and the light sort of warmed the air so it wasn't freezing cold like it had been. I dug my hands into my coat pockets and nuzzled into my scarf as I bounced on my toes trying to keep myself warm. I looked around at the crowd seeing if I could spot the Latina, but I didn't see anyone even as close to resembling her. Just then I felt a hand graze my lower back and as I turned around, I was faced with bright brown eyes.

"Hi babe, cold?" Santana as then held out a hot chocolate to me. "You don't mind that we share, do you?" I smiled down at the girl and shook my head 'no' before taking the warm cup in my gloved hand and sipped, the liquid quickly heating up my insides.

"This is so good." I squealed as I took the cup away from my lips. "You want some?" I asked and held out the cup to her. She smiled then rolled up on her toes and reached a hand behind my neck as she connected our lips. I almost dropped the cup, surprised by the kiss, but quickly caught up to her movements. "That's not what I meant." I giggled and leaned back in to her kiss. The warmth from her definitely beat anything that the hot chocolate gave off; I thought I was warm from the drink but now I'm burning up. I held tightly to the cup hoping that having Santana pressed so closely to me wouldn't cause my grip to waver thus spilling the hot liquid all over us. That would really suck, but then again we would go back to my house to change and then she would borrow my clothes again and then we'd have a super heated make out session. I felt her tongue swipe along my lip before she slipped in and started exploring. I hooked my free hand around her waist and tugged her closer as I tried to gain control of this kiss. She withdrew her tongue and smiled as I nipped at her bottom lip while caressing her lower back with my fingertips. She tightened her hold on my neck while I grabbed a fistful of her blazer, but I knew if we didn't pull away now we'd be giving the whole park a free show.

"Chocolately." Santana smirked as she pulled away, not after giving me one last peck on the lips before dropping her arms.

"And I know how much you love chocolate.." I replied and reached for hand to interlock our fingers as we walked from the park and to Breadstix for our usual lunch date.

_Present Time;_

"Oh right, yeah, not very subtle are we?" I replied with a giggle. I heard papers ruffling in the background and remembered that she's probably busy right now. "Are you busy right now? I don't want to be disturbing you."

"Disturbing me? Babe, _I _called _you_."

"Ohh, right." I sighed. "I forgot." There was another long pause again, but I wasn't sure if she was writing or if she was just thinking. I looked over my shoulder and saw that there were 2 more carts left in front of us before it was our turn to pile the conveyer belt. "Are you okay now?" I asked softly, trying to get her talking again.

"Uh-huh, talking to you really helped calm me down." I smiled down at the floor bashfully trying to hide my pink cheeks from anyone, particularly Quinn who was probably begging to tease me. "Hey, do you wanna come over tonight? We haven't seen each other in 2 days; I feel like I'm dying.."

"Dying?! Why, what's wrong?" I said frantically into the receiver. "Do you need me to come pick you up and take you to the hospital?" I waited for an answer and when I didn't get one I started getting worried. "San.."

"B, that's not what I meant.." Santana said, her laughing automatically calming my nerves. "I'm perfectly fine. I was just saying we haven't had any alone time in a long time, I'm a little sad."

"True, I do miss our sweet lady kisses.." I sighed, my filling with thoughts of previous make out sessions.

"Yeah, and I miss you." She replied and I could totally picture her smiling that one shy smile she does after she said something sweet. "So, you want to come over? I'll cook you dinner?"

"Trying to lure me in with food, Miss Lopez?" I answered huskily. I heard laughter in the background.

"Maybe."

"Oh! I've been wanting to use my song card too!" Well, actually I have a few songs but maybe if I only get her to sing snippets of them it'll count as one full song.

"This is sounding more and more like a date."

"Well, maybe it is." I looked over my shoulder and saw that we were next and Quinn was starting to unload our car with one hand since she was carrying Bella. "I love our spontaneous dates, so I'll see you tonight. I have to go now though, Quinn's trying to unload the whole cart with one hand and she looks funny because she using her left one and she's not a lefty." Quinn looked up and shot me a playful glare before continuing her work.

"Alright, I'll see you tonight then. Bye!" I ended the call and swiftly stuffed the phone in my back pocket and started to help Quinn unload.

"So you have a date tonight?" Quinn asked as she stood straight up and let me unload the rest. "What number are you guys on now?"

"Uhm, this would be our fourth one." I answered and put the last of our groceries on the belt. I looked up to see Quinn smirking at me but I didn't know why. "What?"

"You don't remember our dating rule, do you?" I furrowed my brows and stared at her with narrowed eyes.

"I guess not.."

"Well it was a high school thing; only after 4 dates can you go all the way." She smirked confidently as she turned to greet the cashier then turned back to me. "And look who's on date number four."

"Quinn!" I whined embarrassedly. "That was a childish rule from years ago; it's not like I follow that anymore.." She chuckled and handed the cashier the money while I put the bags into the cart. "Besides, how do you know that we haven't done it yet?" I pushed the cart out to the parking lot while Quinn followed holding Bella.

"_It_? What are we, immature little kids?" Quinn laughed and patted my back. "And I know, because you turned all red when I mentioned the rule." I remained silent as I loaded Quinn's Prius with our groceries while she buckled Bella in her car seat. "You're waiting and I think it's very sweet of you to do that." I rolled my eyes and pressed my lips together trying to focus on stacking our bags so that our groceries wouldn't topple over while she was driving, and also because I was not trying to talk about my sex life, or nonexistent one, to Quinn while Bella was just right there. "I bet she's really good in-"

"Quinn!" I begged again. "Can you not?" She rolled her head back laughing as she hopped into the driver's seat and started to drive us home.

"Only joking, Britt, calm down." Quinn teased then fumbled with the radio.

_Later That Night;_

After the cab dropped me off at Santana's apartment, I practically ran up the steps, only briefly waving to the door man, before rushing into an elevator. Though it had only been 2 days since I've seen Santana, it felt like so much longer! It was crazy how much I've missed her already. I got to her door, and for some reason I felt really nervous all of a sudden. Or maybe it was anxiousness, either way; I hesitated knocking on the door. I thought back to what Quinn said earlier about the fourth date rule, but I knew that was only something between me and Quinn and Santana had no idea about the rule. I've made it this far, I certainly don't want to pressure Santana into doing anything she's not ready for. I swallowed back this lump in my throat then knocked on the door. It only took seconds for the door to swing open before I had slim tanned arms wrapped around my neck.

"Brittany!" Santana squealed as she went in for the hug. I smiled into her shoulder as I slipped my arms around her waist and picked her up a little before setting her back down again. Well pulled back a bit, still keeping our arms on each other, as we exchanged smiles.

"I missed you." I sighed and leaned down for a soft kiss. She grinned and closed the distance between us as she pulled on my neck to deepen our innocent kiss.

"I missed you too." She breathed as she pulled back then grabbed my hand. "Come on, let's eat!" I followed her to the kitchen, my mouth instantly watering at the sight. I walked over to the circular dining table and leaned on one of the backs of the chairs as I stared down at her set up.

"Woah, someone's been busy." I teased as I looked down at the spread she had out. Well really it was just one large skillet of some kind of rice dish set in the center of her small dining table with two square plates accompanied with the appropriate utensil set out on opposite sides of the main dish. I wasn't much of a cook, but I could tell just by the smell that what she had made was going to be delicious.

"Oh stop," Santana laughed as she brought out a bottle of wine and a serving spoon, "It's just Arroz con Pollo." She walked behind me and grazed my lower back with her nails as she made her way to fill the wine glasses.

"Whatever, still looks yummy." I replied then took a seat the same time she did. She held out her hand for my plate so that she could make my plate before making her own. I took in a forkful and hummed at the taste. "Damn, baby, this is really good!" I watched as she blushed and smiled down at her plate bashfully. "What? No one compliments your cooking?" I asked as I took another bite.

"Sort of." She said through a giggle then sipped on her wine. "So what song do you have for me?"

"Mm, I actually had a couple songs.." I kept my eyes lowered until I heard her let out a laugh.

"I could've sworn the card said _one_ song.." Santana teased as she brought her glass to and stared over the rim of the glass at me.

"Y-yeah, but I couldn't decide.." I stammered nervously as I brought my own glass to my lips. "But I think I only really wanna hear you sing this other one.."

"I'm just kidding, baby. I'll sing you whatever you want me to."

"Good, because I think you'll really sound great." I smiled over at her. "Plus, I think the song really expresses how you make me feel." Her eyebrows rose at that as she grinned hard.

"Well now I'm excited!" She chirped then started gathering the plates. I went to help her carry the dirty dishes, but she swatted my hands away. "Guests never clean, babe, you taught me that." She teased then leaned in to peck my cheek before walking off to the sink. I sat happily in my place while she cleaned the table, sending me winks every now and then, until she was finally done.

"Alright, here's the lyrics." I said and handed her my phone. She took it and scrolled the lyrics with furrowed brows. "You haven't heard it before, have you?" I asked but she shook her head.

"It's sort of my job to know all types of music, but I don't think I've ever heard this one before." She said as she handed the phone back to me. I pouted thinking that she wanted me to change songs, but she just intertwined our fingers and pulled me out of the living room to another room. "Actually, now that I think of it, I think I _have _heard it before." I smiled over at her and let her direct me to an unfamiliar hallway. It didn't occur to me that I've only seen her kitchen and living room before; I've never really spent a lot of time here. She pushed open the door to what looked like a studio. My eyes widened at all the instruments she had laying around; a grand piano off to the corner of the room, a few acoustic guitars, a violin, a set of drums, and even a ukulele.

"Wow, do you know how to play all these?" I asked as I ran my hand along the top of the black piano and looked out at all the instruments. She giggled and shook her head 'no'.

"I wish!" She replied and went to sit down at the piano. "I've dabbled in all, but I'm best at this baby." She said and played a few notes on the piano then pointed over at the little ukulele. "I think I've gotten pretty good at the one too." I smiled when she pointed to the latter; she'll definitely rock the song now. "So let's see those lyrics again."

"Oh, you still want to sing it?" She nodded.

"It's on the ukulele, right?" She asked as she walked over and picked up the tiny thing and sat back down on the piano bench. "You think you can find the chords for me?"

"Sure!" I squeaked and quickly looked it up on my phone then showed it to her.

"Oh, okay." She said as she rearranged her fingers on the neck of ukulele and strummed as she glanced at each of the chords on the screen. "Will you sing with me?" She asked as she continued to look at the screen, practicing her strumming. I stared at her with wide eyes.

"I-uh-I'm not a very good singer.." I said quietly. Yeah, I can sing with the radio without sounding like a dying animal, but this is different. There was no other voice for me to sing with except for hers and hers was so much better than mine.

"I like your singing voice though." She looked away from the screen of the phone and gave me a sweet smile. "You don't have to sing the whole song; I just need to hear the tune first."

"Mm, that's makes sense.." I shrugged and sat down next to her on the bench. "Don't laugh at me though." I said as I cleared my throat dramatically before pulling up the lyrics again on me screen.

"I'd never laugh at you, B." Santana cooed and swung her leg over the bench so that she was straddling the chair while I sat with my back to the keys of the piano. I nodded and waited for her to start the strumming pattern. It was amazing how well she played the instrumental of the song, it was better than the original! Probably because it was _her_ playing it and anything she did was amazing to me. "Go ahead, B. I'll catch on." Santana said as she continued to play. I licked my lips and slowly exhaled before beginning.

_You make me happy whether you know it or not  
We should be happy that's what I said from the start  
I am so happy knowing you are the one  
That I want for the rest of my days  
For the rest of my days  
Your, all of my days_

My voice sounded raspy at first, and not the good sounding raspy like Santana's. I was really nervous and couldn't bring myself to look at her while I tried to sound my best. I didn't realize how high some of the parts went as my voice cracked at trying to hit the notes. I felt my cheeks burn at the sound and instantly hated myself for not just picking a different song.

"It's okay, baby, you sound great." Santana cooed and nudged me a little with her elbow. I shot her a shy smile as I ended the chorus. "Keep going, I don't know how the first verse sounds." I nodded and went on to sing the next verse, but this time I kept my eyes set on her.

_You're lookin' so cool you're lookin' so fly  
I can't deny that when I'm staring  
You down right dead in the eye  
I wanna try to be the person you want  
The person you need  
It's hard to conceive  
That somebody like you could be with  
Someone like me_

As I neared the end of the first verse, Santana started to sing along with me as she read off the lyrics. We bobbed our heads together to the beat as we sang the chorus.

"I think I got it now." She said then sang the next verse by herself while I swung my leg over the bench so that I could face her. She smiled affectionately at me as she strummed. She was so beautiful they way she bobbed her head to the sound and swayed from side to side. I really wanted to kiss her, but I didn't want her to stop singing yet; her voice was too perfect. The more I heard her sing the words, the more I realized how well they suited her situation or at least how I thought they suited her situation. __

You're lookin' so fresh  
It's catching my eye  
Why oh why did I not see this before  
The girl I adore was right in front of me  
And now I'll take a step back and look in your eye  
And ask why it took so long to see  
We're meant to be

"You sound so beautiful." I cooed as she started to sing the chorus again. She gestured for me to join her, and I couldn't really say no to the smile she was currently sporting so I obliged. I saw her struggle with the tune of the next verse so I continued to sing along with her so that she could learn the tune, but the way she looked at me while we sang together told me she wanted me to keep sing with her.

_On the good, the bad, the ugly  
The smiles, the laughs, the funny,  
Or all the things we put each other through  
It's for you for you for you_

"We sound so good together." Santana said while I continued to sing the chorus alone. I rolled my eyes playfully; there was no way I sounded half as good as Santana, she had to be lying that we actually sounded good _together_. I'm a dancer, not a singer. She joined in on the singing again as the second part of the chorus ended.

_I'm happy knowing that you are mine  
The grass is greener on the other side  
The more I think the more I wish  
That we could lay here for hours and just a reminisce_

Ooh ooh

"I loved that." Santana cheered and leaned over to capture my lips with hers. I returned the kiss, but sat back feigning upset.

"I sang most of the song.." I pouted with my arms crossed. "I want a refund!" Santana tossed her head back with a laugh and went to set her ukulele back down in its stand.

"I just wanted to hear you sing again." She cooed as she walked back over and sat back down on the bench next to me.

"Well, I hope you enjoyed yourself because you owe me another song." I replied with a grin.

"Oh, I did." She winked with a smirk. "You were super sexy sounding singing about happy stuff, that song totally fit your personality." I felt my cheeks flush at the compliment; never had my singing voice been called 'sexy'. "This time I'm picking the song though, okay?" The way her eyes darkened as she said that had me a little worried, or maybe it was kind of a turn on, I wasn't sure just yet.

"Alright, whatever you want." I said and rested my weight on my arms as I held myself up by gripping the edge of the bench.

"You're definitely going to enjoy this.." She smirked and spun around to face the piano as she played a few notes then smiled over at me.

_I don't need a beat for me to touch you, cuff you up and love you  
listen to me I could make it louder or bring it down to a whisper like damn.  
Honey, why you rushin'? I like it when you're cussin'  
Especially when it's dirty, it turns me on like damn._

I found myself swallowing thickly as she continued to sing to me, her eyes never leaving mine as she smirked through her words. I've never heard the song before, but damn, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't making my body heat up like crazy.

_We could do a little bit of role play  
spread 'em for the teacher, baby, or you'll get a bad grade  
We could keep it just like this  
but if you want somethin' to rock to, I can drop the beat like this_

"D-Damn, San.." I moaned when I felt her running her hand down my leg as she dipped a little between my thighs then moved back up to the keys of the piano. She couldn't tease me like that, what is she trying to do, kill me? I don't want to die of sexual frustration, that's embarrassing!

_Movin' by the rhythm of the clap  
tease you just a bit, bring it in and pull it back  
if I wanna speed it up, I'll give you a little slap  
but regardless I could make you want it bad_

Oh yeah, she's definitely trying to kill me. The heat between my legs was almost unbearable now and I doubt we were even halfway through the song. As much as I wanted her to stop singing, afraid that I might at any moment take her on this damn piano, I couldn't help but want her to continue. I hated the way I loved how she liked to tease me like this, if that makes any sense. And to make everything worse, she had went back to straddling the bench and was completely singing acapella now. I tried hard to keep my eyes from landing on her boobs or worse, her spread legs, but it was getting extremely hard to control myself when she's singing about such things.

_When I lay you on the bed  
I ain't playin', I'ma do exactly what I said  
Kiss you on the collarbone, right up to your neck  
Get you beggin' for some more, it's the best and nothing less, baby  
I don't need a-_

That was it. As soon as she started saying something about kissing necks and collarbones, I was done. I wanted her, and I wanted her _now_. I leaned forward and cupped her cheeks with my hands and brought her to me. Our lips crashed as her singing stopped and the humming started. Our kisses were different this time; they were needy, almost desperate, as we tried bringing our bodies closer than they already were. I dropped my hands to dip into the small of her back and tugged her up on to me. Now her legs were hanging over my thighs, straddling my waist, while she entangled her hands into my blonde hair. The thought of how close her center was to mine could have brought me over the edge but much to my disappointment she slid off of me.

"Well that escalated quickly." She laughed all out of breath as she swung her leg back over the bench so that she was sitting correctly.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself..that song was very-uh-suggestive." I stammered still trying to even out my breathing. I hated that she had pulled away; I needed her more than ever right now. No, Britt, keep it in your pants! She's not ready yet.

"No I'm sorry," Santana said shaking her head shamefully, "I knew what that song would do." The tension in the room was thick, almost uncomfortable. "Come on, let's go to the living room." Santana said as she held out her hand for me to take. I nodded and followed her out and sat down next to her on the couch when a certain combination of red and black caught my eyes.

"So you really do have Uno?" I laughed as I sat back up with the cards in my hand. She looked down at the deck and laughed.

"Totally forgot I had those.."

"Let's play!" I said innocently and started dealing out the cards. She brought up her legs, her pajama shorts riding up a little further than they should as I handed out the cards. I could actually see the outline of her dark blue panties through the thinness of her shorts. If I could just get a little clo-

"Britt, you gave me too many." She said and gave me back 3 cards. I tore my eyes away from her exposed skin and took back the cards. I mentally slapped myself for not controlling my leering and went back to dealing. I looked up at her biting her lip as she stared down at my hands. I felt my body heating up again but this time I didn't know why, she wasn't even doing any teasing!

"Uh hold these; I've got to take off this sweater." I mumbled and shoved the cards in her hand before throwing off my sweater leaving me in only my jeans and black tank top. "That's better." I sighed innocently and took back the cards with a smile. I looked up into Santana's dark brown eyes again, not before eyeing her breasts a little longer than I should, and saw nothing but lust. Keep it together, Britt. "Uhh, you can go first." Her lips parted like she was about to say something but instead she focused down on her cards and threw out a blue 4. My eyes raked her exposed chest, her light pink tank top not covering up very much, but I wasn't complaining.

"Your turn." She mumbled, shaking me from my staring. I stared down at the pile and threw out a red 4. I looked up again but found her already staring at me, well my lips actually. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly as her eyes slowly trailed up from my lips to my eyes. It was my turn to eye her full lips now, only wanting to kiss her breath away.

"Your go-"

"Fuck this." She huffed and swatted away the cards to the floor as she lunged for me. "No more Uno." She husked and crashed our lips together in a passionate kiss. I felt like laughing at how jerky her movements were from being so frenzied, but when I felt her hands slipping under my tank top, I knew this was not just another make out session.

"Settle down, baby, we got all the time in the world." I said as softly as I laid my hand over hers, stopping them from going up any higher on my torso. She sat up, straddling my waist as she stared down at me like she was contemplating her next move. I sat up too, well as much as I could with her still sitting on me, and set my hands on her thighs. "There's no rush, but if you want to then that's okay too."

"I want to, Britt, I_ really _want to." My heart was hammering in my chest as she said the words I'd been wanting to her for weeks. "Please B, I need you." I felt a chill run up my spine and stared deeply into her eyes, searching for any kind of doubt. None, just pure affection.

"Here or the bedroom?"

Santana laughed and pulled me off the couch with her as she directed me to her bedroom, making sure that some part of our bodies were in contact the whole way there. At first we were a little hesitant and nervous the way we kept glancing at each other then looking away all giggly, but as soon as she closed the bedroom door, it was on.

She made the first move, throwing her arms around my neck as she stretched up to capture my lips with hers for a very heated kiss. I slid my tongue along her full lip until they parted and she allowed me to caress her tongue with mine all while she pushed me back further and further until the backs of my legs hit the edge of her bed. The contact threw my off balance and I ended up pulling her with me as I hit the bed with a thump. We both laughed as I pushed myself up further so that I was completely on the bed while Santana crawled up along with me, hovering over me attempting to keep her lips pressed into mine but failing miserably. I curled my fingers under the hem of her tank top and tugged on it, wanting her to get closer.

"You can take it off if you want to." She said quietly as she smiled down at me. I found my throat extremely dry as I slowly stripped her from her shirt. I ran my hands down her exposed sides, smiling at how fit she was. "Yours too." I nodded and sat up a little so that I could pull it off, but her hands stopped me. "I want to do it." She husked and dragged her nails down my sides causing tingles to shoot through my body as she pulled off my shirt. It seemed like she was only comfortable touching my sides though, because she didn't dare go anywhere else but there. I could tell she was starting to get a little nervous by how shaky her fingertips were against my skin.

"You can touch whatever you want, baby." I cooed and brought her hand to lay flat against my abs as I slowly moved our hands up until she was cupping my breast. She sank down again into my body and peppered my neck with soft kisses while I caressed her back with my nails. I was too busy marveling at the softness of her skin that I hadn't realized she had kicked off her pajama shorts and was now left in only her bra and panties. She began rocking her hips into mine as our kisses became more and more sloppy. I felt constricted since I was still wearing jeans, so I hooked my hands at the backs of her thighs and flipped over so now she was on her back. She hit the bed with a groan the looked up at me with lustful eyes. "Told you I was a top." I smirked and leaned down for another kiss. I felt her groan at the contact and soon felt her hands fumbling with the zipper of my jeans.

"Get these off _now_." She growled and I didn't think I could be even _more_ turned on by her actions.

"Yes ma'am!" I answered playfully and quickly pulled off my jeans before sinking back into Santana. I slipped my thigh between hers and instantly felt dampness which only got my hormones raging even more. She tightly shut her eyes and rolled her head back when I started to push my thigh against her core, causing a little much needed friction. Her nails dug into my shoulder blades as I started to rock faster against her.

"Br-Brit, more.." She whined as she bit down on her lip and ran her hands down my back to grab on my ass. My breath hitched as she squeezed on the backs of my thighs then ran her hands back up to my shoulders. I hovered over her, watching how breathless she was becoming.

"Are you sure?" I asked softly and I trailed my right hand down the contours of her abs to the waistline of her soaked panties. "We don't have to.."

"Mhm, I _need_ you." She moaned. That was all it took, for her to _need_ me. I hooked my fingers into her garment and tugged them away. The lights were off in her room, but the light the moon was giving off gave off enough brightness to give our bodies this shimmering glow. I looked back down at Santana who had her long dark hair sprawled out over the pillow while she panted with her eyes closed.

"You are so beautiful, baby." I whispered and leaned down for a chaste kiss before slipping my index finger in. To say she was wet would be an understatement; this girl was soaked! My finger slipped in with such ease, gliding along her slit smoothly as my thumb began rubbing at her clit.

"F-F-Fucking hell, Britt.." She whined as I circled her sensitive nub with my thumb. "That feels so _ohhh!_" I entered her with my index finger, slowly pumping in and out of her all while rubbing at her clit.

"That feel good?" I asked huskily as I watched how she threw her head back into the pillows at each thrust I made, arching her bad for more. Damn, she was so sexy right now! I leaned down and started nibbling at her pulse point while her breathing started sounding labored. "You okay?"

"Yes! So. Fucking. Good. Baby." She groaned as I continued to assault her neck with kisses. I too let out a moan when she dragged her nails down my back again, ultimate turn on. But then I felt her hands on my chest, tugging at my bra.

"If mine comes off, yours comes off too." I teased. Her lips curled into a smirk as she looked up at me with dark eyes until she was sitting upright and had her bra in her hand. She tossed the last of her garments aside then went for my bra. She unlatched it easily, whining with frustration when I had to pull out of her to remove my bra fully. "Someone's impatient." I joked and went back to pumping my hand into her. I entered another digit and watched how she squirmed underneath me. "You okay, babe?" I asked softly not wanting to hurt her or anything.

"More than okay." She moaned then hooked her fingers into my panties. "I want you go feel this good too." She said as I let her pull down my panties which were probably ruined no thanks to her sexy self. I shuddered when I felt her cool fingers slip along my wet folds. "You're going to enjoy this." She smirked and entered me with a finger all while circling my clit with her thumb. It was hard for me to concentrate on keeping her pleasured while she was touching me like that, but I had to get her off first. "How you doing up there, babe?"

"You feel so good, San.." I sighed as I felt my body starting to tense from exhaustion. My arms were starting to burn, but I needed her to release and I wasn't stopping till she was begging me to. With a new determination, I quickened my pace and reached up with my free hand to massage her breast while I latched on to her other breast with my mouth and twirled around her nipple with my tongue.

"Sh-Shit, baby, you're so fucking-_ohhh!_" She quickened her pace as well and I knew I wouldn't last long if she continued talking like that. Something about the way she was making all her little noise really turned me on. I could probably get off just by the sound of her-

"I'm close, Britt, keep going!" She huffed as she started to rock into my hand all while keeping her hand pumping into me. "Don't stop, babe, so close." She kept repeating until she let out a choked cry of my name. "Come with me baby.." As soon as I saw her body tense underneath me and they way she screamed my name had me coming undone closely after she had. "Fuck, Britt, I'm coming so hard!"

"Mmm, San!" I cried as she gave me one last thrust before I felt myself slumping into her, both our bodies spent from such rigorous activities. Not wanting to crush her, I rolled over to lie next to her on my back while we both tried to catch our breath. We were both laying their next to each other completely naked and completely out of breath, but I couldn't be any happier. I rolled over on my side and hovered over her. She smiled at me shyly, realizing that we were still nude and reached for the bed sheets and tossed them over our sweat glistening bodies.

"That was amazing, Britt." She said between breaths as she wrapped and arm around my waist and pressed her body into mine. I smiled down at her and draped and arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead.

"_You_ are amazing." I replied quickly as I settled into her warmth. "Totally worth the wait."

"I love spontaneous date nights." She laughed breathlessly. "But I think I like playing Uno even more."

"And you said you were a top.." I teased playfully, earning a smirk and narrowed eyes from the girl in my arms.

"I let you top tonight, but next time you're the bottom." I smiled at the mention of a _next time_. This was probably the best sex I have ever had and there weren't even tongues involved! Just thinking about next time already me wanting a round 2.

"Whatever you say, babe." I laughed as I nuzzled into the crook of her neck. She hummed something, but I wasn't sure what. It was only minutes later that I had realized she'd already fallen asleep when I looked up and saw her eyes closed. Her soft exhales tickled my lips as I leaned in for one last kiss. "Goodnight, San." I said quietly and sank back down to rest my head on her chest. There was silence for a long time and soon I felt myself being drawn to a well deserved rest until I felt the back of my hair being brushed through.

"Goodnight, Britt-Britt."

* * *

A/N also, if you guys have any suggestions on how you want Brooke to finally be out of San's life for good, let me know! :D

Britt's song was Happy by Nevershoutnever & San's was Acapella by AM Kidd


	26. Chapter 26 Stares

CHAPTER 26

I awoke the next morning on my side facing a wall. It wasn't my wall though; this wall was painted a deep grey color, the walls in my room are light pink. I pulled my hand out from under the pillow, which wasn't mine either, and felt soft silk. _Silk_. Last time I remembered touching silk was in my dreams. _Dreams._ I must be dreaming right now! I bet I'm still in Santana's studio room, listening to her sing something beautiful. That made sense, listening to someone sing always helps me sleep. Not in a way like, "You're boring" but in a calm and soothing way. Like a lullaby. Yeah, she has sung me to sleep and I should be waking up, _really_ waking up, soon.

"Hmm, Britt.."

Well maybe this isn't a dream. Why would we both be sleeping in my dream? Yeah, definitely not a dream. I realized that the weight I was feeling on my waist was her arm draped over my stomach, holding me to her warm body as her chest rose and fell with her soft exhales. I let out a content sigh feeling so protected in her arms, but being so close to her body also made me realize that we were both completely nude still. All the memories from last night came rushing back and I instantly felt my cheeks flush knowing that those were Santana's boobs pressed against my bare back, like without a bra or anything.

"Ermm hm Brr.."

Any embarrassment I was about to feel quickly vanished as Santana continued to mumble in her sleepy voice. How could someone be so cute even in their sleep? I just had to see what she looked like, even if that meant risking waking her up. I slowly maneuvered my body within her embrace, only pausing for a moment when her arm tightened around me and she let out a puff of air, until I was facing her. Oh yeah, she was still beautiful, even more so how the silk sheets fell around her waist revealing her pointy hipbone. My eyes trailed up her side, over the grooves of her rib cage, noticing that her skin was covered in goosebumps. I carefully pinched the sheets and slid them up to her shoulder then wrapped an arm around her, hoping that might warm her up a little. I ran my hand down the segments of her spine, smiling at the softness of her skin.

Suddenly, I felt her doing the same and looked up to find deep brown eyes staring into my piercing blue. I don't know why, but I felt myself blushing again. Just a second ago I was attempting to memorize every dip and groove of her back, not realizing she had been watching me, but now I felt a little embarrassed. I felt her chest rise and fall quickly several times against mine as she snickered.

"Morning, gorgeous." She said in a low raspy voice. She made this disgruntled expression at hearing the sound of her own voice and tried clearing her throat. "Mm, isn't my morning voice so sexy?" She teased, her voice coming out sounding the same.

"Mhm, the sexiest." I giggled and stared up at her, seeing a twinkle in her eye. Even with her hair in a tangled mess and her face free of makeup, I still couldn't help but smile at how beautiful she was. "You're really pretty in the morning." I said without thinking and watched as she tilted her head to the side and laughed.

"Just in the morning?" She smirked then lifted her hand to brush away some fallen hair from my eyes. Even after everything that's happened between us, all our progress we've made, she still somehow managed to leave me speechless from the simplest things like her little touches. "Just kidding, babe." She cooed then cupped my chin and pressed her lips to mine. I grinned at the contact as her hand slid from my chin and rested on my hip. We spent the next couple minutes just looking at each other and smiling like we were telling silent jokes or something. I liked it, but what I liked even more was what happened last night. _Last night_. Just thinking about it gave me all these warm fuzzy feelings, and by the way she's looking at me right now tells me she's probably thinking about the same thing.

"What are you thinkin' about?" I asked softly as I watched her cheeks bunch up in a grin.

"You first."

"Mm, you." I sighed with a smile. "And last night." She smiled again then looked away from my eyes all bashfully.

"Great minds think alike then." She teased then looked up at me. "That was so-"

"Amazingly amazing?"

"Yeah, something like that." She smiled then leaned in for another quick kiss."You hungry?" She asked and propped herself up to look at the clock on the nightstand that was on my side of the bed, somewhat hovering over me, then looked back down at me with a smile. "It's almost 10:30; I could make you French toast if you want?"

My eyes widened as I whipped my head to see the time for my own eyes. "No!" I shrieked. Suddenly I realized where I was and where I had to be in 30 minutes and threw the covers off of me.

"Uh, no French toast. What about pancakes?" Santana asked sounding a little worried. I looked up to see her sitting up with the silk sheets hanging off her shoulders staring at me with a confused expression.

"Sorry, I would love to have French toast or pancakes with you," Her head perked up at my words and that little pout she was sporting was replaced with a wide grin. "But, I forgot I had work at 11." Her shoulders dropped again but she nodded with understanding. I hopped around trying to find all my clothes while Santana just sat in the middle of the bed laughing at me. "Hey, don't you have to be at work too? It's Wednesday.."

"Mm, I don't feel like going." She shrugged then stood up with the sheets still hanging on her shoulders. I knew I had better get my clothes on quick because I knew if she even smirked at me I'd be all over her. I quickly threw on a tank top just as she walked over and wrapped me in the silk sheets with her. "You should call out too, Noah will understand, or I'll _make_ him understand at least." Her body was flush against mine and it took all the power in me to step away from her.

"I'm working at the other job today.." I said and kneeled down to wiggle into my discarded jeans. "I would love to stay with you in bed all day, but some of us aren't owners of record labels and have that luxury of staying home because they 'don't feel like going'." She rolled her head back with a chuckle then crossed her arms over her still exposed chest and smiled.

"Nice shirt, too bad it's not yours." I looked down realizing I was wearing a light pink tank top when last night I had on a black one.

"Huh, no wonder it fit kinda tight." I laughed and tugged it off and threw it at her. "I thought I might've gotten fat over night."

"I don't think so, I think I worked you out pretty well." She smirked and threw her sheets on the bed to also get some clothes on.

"Ha! Because it's _so_ exhausting being a bottom." I teased and slapped her playfully on the butt just as she slid into some jeans.

"Keep teasing me like that, Britt, you're going to regret it later." She winked and set her hands on my hips.

"I look forward to it."

"Oh come on, I'll drive you home." She laughed and grabbed for her keys and purse before rushing downstairs. The car ride was short and I was a little disappointed that I couldn't be with Santana longer after having such a memorable night like last night. After a quick kiss from Santana, I was bolting upstairs hoping that Quinn would've left already to take Bella to school and maybe if I changed fast enough I'd beat her to the shop. I got ready in record time and was soon flying down the stairs with my phone to my ear and running for work.

"Christy!" I shouted too loudly into the receiver, probably scaring the girl on the other end. "Sorry, I'm rushing." I said a little less loud. "Is Quinn there yet?"

"Nope, not yet." Christy answered. "Are you okay, Brittany? It's almost 11 and you're still-"

"Hi!" I huffed all out of breath as I swung the door open and waved to Christy who was looking at her phone then back at me. "Never late!" I said still panting and went to clock in. I looked around seeing the usual customers like Heather and her friends but no Quinn; good, I beat her he-

"Well someone's definitely got that 'I just had sex and it felt so good' glow going on." Quinn teased as she appeared from the backroom with a box of lids in her hands.

"Oh my God, is it _that_ noticeable?" I whispered to Christy but she just smiled and looked away.

"You were _almost_ late." Quinn smirked as she set the box down on the counter and narrowed her eyes on me. I felt my cheeks heating up in that oh so familiar way while the tips of my ears started to burn."Gee, I wonder why.." I pressed my lips together and tried to disappear as I knew the inevitable was coming. "Could it be the same reasons as you not coming home last night?"

"Uhh, I'm going to-uh-go over there." Christy said awkwardly as she shuffled off to wipe down the tables in the dining area. I contemplated whether I should follow her too, but with Quinn drawing nearer I knew it wasn't an option.

"That _would_ explain that gnarly hickey right there!" She teased and poked at a sensitive spot on my neck. I tightly closed my eyes and shook my head at the floor guiltily. Just as I was about to _try_ and defend myself I heard a loud thump followed by a string of giggles. I looked up to see Heather with her head on the table and her friends grabbing their guts as they laughed.

"See Q, look what you did!" I whisper yelled and pointed over to the table. "You just ruined that girl's life." Quinn followed my finger to where I was pointing and laughed.

"No, _you_ just ruined her life." She giggled then stared at my neck. "Damn, who knew Santana was such a sucker fish!"

"What?!" I huffed and went to look at my reflection in the shiny metal of the coffee machine to see my neck covered in little spots. "Shit, I'm going to get that girl!" I sighed trying to be angry yet I couldn't help but love each and every mark she had left. They were only reminders that her lips were on my skin, longer than they should've been. I ghosted my fingers along the bruises with a goofy smile until I saw Quinn join me in the reflection.

"Yeah, I bet she'll just _love_ that."

"Quinn.."

"Come on, I've got some makeup in my purse that you can use to cover those things up."

Minutes later I emerged from the bathroom with a well concealed neck and a big smile. Other than Quinn grilling me earlier, I was having a pretty great morning so far. I mean, waking up next to Santana would be enough to keep me in a good mood for the rest of the day! Even with it being as slammed as it was, and having to deal with those super creepy customers with strange twitchy behavior, the extra flirty old men who didn't realize that I was gay, or even the really rude customers that complained that their _iced _mocha was too _cold_ wasn't such a downer for me. However, looking up from the coffee machine to find someone different staring at me like I was a ghost was sort of weird. I mean, it's winter time; _everyone's_ as pale as me, no need to stare!

"Caramel Frap for Mason!" I called and slipped on a cardboard sleeve around the warm cup and waited patiently for the customer to come over. I sighed when the younger looking guy approached me with the same dumbfounded look that I kept seeing from everyone else.

"Thank you." He breathed with an awestruck smile and slowly spun around to leave. I stared after him confused as to why he looked at me like I had scared him or something. I quickly found Quinn standing next to me staring out at the full shop and every so often someone would glance up to me with the same star struck look, I just didn't get it! Was it the 'I just had sex and it felt so good' glow that kept the customers staring at me? I hope not, that would be embarrassing.

"Q, why does everyone keep looking at me?" I asked quietly as I kept my eyes on scanning the customers' faces. "Do I have something on my face?" My hand darted up to my cheeks as I started to brush my face of anything that might've been there. "Oh God, is my hair sticking up? I bet it is, why didn't you tell me?" I bent down to stare at my reflection in the metal but saw nothing but Quinn giggling. "I-Is it the _glow_? Is it _that_ noticeable?"

"Britt, no." Quinn laughed. "I have no idea what's got everyone staring at you honestly. Maybe you're just super pretty today? Yeah, I'm gunna go with that."Quinn shrugged and walked over to wipe up some spilled coffee. I looked down at my reflection trying to see what others were seeing. It couldn't be that I was extra pretty like Quinn said because I hadn't done anything different; I barely had any makeup on besides the concealer on my neck and my ponytail wasn't as neat and tidy as it usually was. Maybe that was it! My messy ponytail was what kept the customers staring at me! Yeah, that made sense.

"Hey, I'll be right back!" I said to Quinn and hurried off to the bathroom. Once inside, I undid my ponytail and ran my fingers through my tangled hair then pulled it back up to a very neat and tidy ponytail. I looked at myself in the mirror and patted down any fly aways then tied my hair back up. I turned my head to the side then to the other making sure that my ponytail was definitely not stare worthy. "Nope, looks normal." I said to myself and went back out to stand behind the counter just as Christy walked by. "Christy! How's my hair? Is it okay? Nothing's sticking up or anything right?" I guess by frantically asking her questions until she finally answered wasn't really a smart thing to do when I was trying to _not_ draw more attention to myself.

"Brittany, your hair is fine. What's going on with you today?" Christy asked worriedly as she walked back to her register. "You're acting really weird.." I let out a sigh and shrugged as I walked back to my previous position at the coffee machine.

"Everyone else is the ones acting weird.." I muttered under my breath after I looked out and still saw people staring at me.

"Hey Britt!" I looked up to see Kurt walking over sporting a charming grin and something rolled up in his hand. He looked to his left and waved to Quinn. "Hey girl, we definitely need a ladies night again! You're the funniest drunk ever." He teased while Quinn just smiled with an eye roll. He walked right up to Christy and gave her his order then went to stand by me. "Huh, well someone's looking a little different today." Kurt commented.

"Ugh, just because I had super awesome lady sex last night with my super hot girlfriend doesn't mean everyone has to stare at me!" I groaned while Kurt just stared at me with a mixture of confusion and amusement. "Ignore that." I sighed and started over. "Hi Kurt, you're in a good mood." I said with a small smile as Christy handed me his cup and told me the order.

"I'm always in a good mood, my dear, especially when the gossip magazines come out with extra juicy news that I'm somewhat interested about." I quirked an eyebrow up at him as I capped a lid on his drink; he didn't really strike me as a gossip magazine reading kind of person. "Here, take a gander." He laid out a magazine on the counter and there, on the front page was-

"Holy shit, does this mean I'm famous now?!" I asked, still staring at the picture taken of me and Santana in the middle of the park kissing a few days ago. "This explains so much.."

"People keep staring at you?" He asked as I handed him his drink. I took the magazine in my hands and flipped to the page were more information would be given. I was shocked to find that there was a 2 page spread about Santana with pictures of her and some with the both of us from our dates or just walking around. I glanced down at the caption of the city park kiss and read:

_Co-Owner of New York's famous record label SnixxJuice, Santana Lopez, seen exchanging a sweet kiss with a new beautiful blonde bombshell. Looks like NYULagone Medical Center's head surgeon, Brooke Petterson, has been given the boot. _

"Brooke's the head surgeon at one of the most prestigious hospitals in New York?!" I gasped as I read through the caption and looked up at Kurt. "What the hell?" He just shrugged like it was nothing.

"Really Britt, you've got to start reading up on your tabloids." He laughed then pushed the magazine down to the counter so that we could both look. "Still can't believe you didn't know Santana was co-owner of SnixxJuice, that girl is always in the magazines! Well, only when she's seen out with her significant other. People love seeing a successful lesbian all out and proud." I just shook my head in disbelief. I work at a coffee shop and I'm a choreographer at some bar, how could I even compare to the head surgeon? I can't. No. Brooke sucked as a person and the public knew nothing about that. I am good for Santana, no matter what job I may possess. "Oh, I'll show you my favorite one." He said cheerfully and quickly flipped to a page where there was a blown up picture of Santana and I standing in the rundown parking lot of the bakery where we got Bella's birthday cake. "You two are so cute together!" I smiled down at the page and couldn't help but agree.

"That was the day we became official." I pointed out with a grin.

"In a creepy looking part of town with hobos hanging out on the corner?"

"Yeah, it was pretty unexpected."

"That's romantic."

"Sure was." I replied with a wink and looked back down at the picture. I flipped back to the 2 page spread and noticed a more recent picture.

"Kurt, you're turning my girl into a slacker!" I heard Quinn call as she drew near. "Good thing we're not busy any more. What are you two looking at anyway? Porn?" Quinn teased as she walked over to look at the magazine. "Holy shit B, you're in a magazine!" She nearly choked out and turned the magazine to face her. "Woah, Brooke's a-"

"Yeah, I know.." I sighed and tilted my head to look at the newest looking picture. "Th-this is from this morning.." I said pointing at the bottom picture of me walking out of Santana's apartment following her out to the car.

"Ha, look what it says!" Quinn laughed and pointed to the caption.

_Miss Lopez seen with the nameless blonde bombshell once again leaving her apartment in the early hours of the day. Walk of Shame anyone?_

"How did they even get this one, it happened only this morning!" I said after reading where Quinn's finger was pointing.

"Who knows!" Kurt shrugged the pointed to a different section. "But look at this one!"

_Reports say that neighbors heard many questionable noises during the night. Seems like the budding relationship between the two is a little more serious than we thought!_

"WHAT?!" I gasped and snatched the magazine to read for myself. "That's impossible, she _was_ pretty loud but-"

"Oh gross, stop." Quinn laughed.

"But she lives in the penthouse suit, there's no way anyone could've heard her."

"That's impressive." Quinn commented with a smirk.

"What?" I asked confused. "The penthouse or the other thing.."

"Both." She shrugged with a laugh. "Look at little Britt-Britt, making girls scream and what not. I'm so proud. " I rolled my eyes at the comment and looked to Kurt.

"Well actually, it says here that neighbors mostly heard _Santana's _name being called.." The two broke out in a fit of giggles while I felt all the blood drain from my face and the tips of my ears feeling like they were burning off.

"No, that's wrong!" I tried to defend myself but I knew it was useless. I thought back to last night and I swear it was Santana being more vocal than I was. At least, that's what I'm going to keep telling myself. Yeah, Santana and I are definitely going to have a talk about this later.

* * *

A/N Sorry not as long of a chapter as the others, just wanted to give an update while I had the day off. Love all your suggestions of how you want Brooke to be 'taken out'. I think I've got a pretty good idea of how I want things to end that'll incorporate a bit of everything, but that's not till later. Let me know what ya'll are thinking! ( :

Also thank you to everyone who wished me luck on my finals, such sweethearts!


	27. Chapter 27 Tough Love

CHAPTER 27

"Santana Lopez!" I yelled into the receiver trying to sound angry. I even set my hands on my hips like Quinn and Bella do for extra emphasis, but I realized that she wouldn't really be able to see that since she was on the phone. Whatever, back to being angry!

"Yes?" Her voice came out almost in a whisper.

"Wait, are you sleeping?" I asked with a quirked eyebrow. I looked over to the digital clock for the time; 3:45pm. Who even sleeps that late in the day?

"Mm, no." She answered softly then there was a long pause. "Maybe.."

"This is not the time for naps, wake up!"

"Mmergsh, I don't wanna.." She mumbled in her sleepy voice. "Why should I?"

"Because, you've got some explaining to do, missy!" I replied, my angry voice wavering at the sound of her cute sleepy talk. Geez, why does she have to sound so cute! Urgh.

"Mm, 'bout what?"

"You_ know_ what!"

"Britt, I really don't.." She laughed sounding a little more awake. I could totally picture her shoulders bouncing and her face all scrunched as she spoke. "And stop yelling, I don't like it when you yell.."

"Well I don't like having all these customers staring at me like I'm some sort of half zombie half robot alien creation!"

"Uhh..wait, a what?"

"Kurt showed me the magazine.." I waited for her to catch on but she remained quiet so maybe I thought I was being too vague. "We were on the front cover."

"Damn, already?" She laughed. "Those fuckers are persistent!"

"So I take that you're used to this.."

"Yeah, I guess." She answered. "I mean, they only care because I'm a super hot and super successful lesbian. 'BrookTana' as the media dubbed me and Brooke's relationship was like crack to them since everyone thought we were the perfect couple, and being that she's the head surgeon at one of the top hospitals in New York and I'm the co-owner of one of the most popular record label companies in New York, the media loved us. They obviously didn't know what really went on between us." I found myself frowning at the mention of Brooke's title again and couldn't help but wonder what the media would say about me when they found out that I was just a part time barista as well as a choreographer at some talent bar. I definitely wasn't a surgeon, that's for sure.

"Britt?" She said again after another long pause. "What are you thinking about?" I wanted to say, _I don't fit in your life. I'm not a fancy doctor who makes tons of money. I don't have nice things; I don't even have a car. How can I compare to Brooke Petterson, the head surgeon at a highly ranked medical center? I can't. I'm just a dancer and that's all I'll ever be. Just a dancer. _But I didn't say that. I couldn't.

"Uh, nothing. Just reading how reports said that neighbors mostly heard _your_ name being called." I smirked then continued. "Which is funny because I'm pretty sure it was _you_ who was doing all the screaming.." All I heard next was laughter.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that sweetie." She teased making me roll my eyes. "Hey, are you getting off soon?" She asked sweetly. "I miss you.."

"It's only been 5 hours, someone has separation issues." I laughed as I glanced at the time.

"Yes, I need help. A lot of help. Come be my doctor and check me out." She teased seductively, but I could only focus on that one word. _Doctor._ _Why don't you get Brooke to check you out? She's the real doctor.. _

"I'd do more than just check you out." I flirted back, catching the narrowed eyes of Quinn as she walked pass.

"Wanky." Santana laughed. "So when do you get off?"

"4"

"Oh! That's in 10 minutes!" She cheered excitedly. "You want me to come pick you up?" I smiled hard at hearing how excited she was, I was usually the one who acted like that when she was about to get off work. It's nice to know that I've got the same effect on her.

"Sure, but only if we can pick up some food after." I said as I twirled the cord of the work phone around my finger. "I haven't eaten since like 12, I'm starving!"

"Well, I've got something for you to eat."

"I bet."

"Gross." I looked up to see Quinn on the other phone staring at me with a disgusted look and a smirk.

"What the hell, Quinn?" Santana said questioningly. "Britt?"

"Quinn, get off the phone!" I whined and tried to kick her in the butt but she just dodged it.

"Wait, Quinn's on the phone?" Santana asked.

"Yup, been listening the whole time!" Quinn laughed as she dodged another kick. "You guys _would_ really try to phone sex it up in the work place? Kinky."

"She's lying!" I said frantically into the receiver.

"I know she is, B, I remember what we've been talking about." Santana laughed. "And though I do love that idea, I'm not _that _horny."

"Oh gross." Quinn groaned.

"Then get off the phone Quinn, geez!"

"No babe, if she wants to listen to me talk about how dripping we-"

"Alright alright, I'm off!" Quinn said as she slammed the phone down and walked away with her hands up. "Just don't-ugh-gross!"

"That was a good one." I laughed into the receiver as I watched Quinn leave.

"Yeah, I try my best.." Santana answered smugly yet playfully. I caught Quinn walking back over to me from the corner of my eye.

"Uh-huh, and what if I put my tong-"

"Oh stop, I'm not going to listen in again.." Quinn groaned causing me to stop me in mid sentence. "Ask her if she wants to get dinner together, just the three of us, later on."

"Baby, Quinn wants to know if you wanna get dinner tonight all together."

"Yeah, that sounds like fun."

"She said yeah." I relayed back to Quinn after hearing San's response.

"Great! Maybe we can hit up that new burger place on 19th; I think it's called Route 66." Quinn replied as she tugged on the strings of her apron.

"Yeah, let's do that!" I answered cheerfully. "They've had a lot of good reviews too."

"What has?" Santana asked.

"Quinn wants to go to Route 66 for dinner."

"Oh yeah, that place is good." She answered knowingly. "I've been a couple times-"

"Oh, we can go somewhere else?"

"I was going to say I haven't been in awhile.." Santana laughed. "So it's fine."

"Hey, San?"

"Uh-huh?"

"I get off in 6 minutes.."

"Oh, I'm heading out the door now to pick up your sweet ass then!" I giggled then we said our goodbyes.

_Back at Santana's 45 Minutes Later;_

"Mm, Britt-_oh!_-right-_mm!_-there.." Santana moaned as I hovered over top of her pumping two digits in and out of her while circling her sensitive bundle of nerves with the pad of my thumb. She was already panting and we've only been at it for 30 minutes.

"I really need to build up her stamina."

"Isn't that-_mm!_- what we're doing right-_ooh!_-now?" She replied seductively as she reached up and cupped my cheeks in her hands and pulled me to her lips. Our kisses were frantic and needy with our lips crashing and tongues battling.

"How's this, babe?" I asked sweetly as I slowly withdrew my fingers then entered her again. I watched as she bit down on her bottom lip and smirked then grabbed fistfuls of bed sheets. I trailed a finger down her chest between her boobs where sweat was starting to collect then laid my hand flat against her stomach to keep her from arching her back. "That feel good, huh?" I asked, my voice getting a little husky sounding at the sight of her nearing her climax.

"_Ohhh!_-fuck yes, so fucking-_unf! _-good.."She groaned as she tried wiggling out from my grip. "So cl-close, baby, don't stop!" She sighed as she continued to squirm beneath me. The sight alone would've pushed me over my edge, but I had to keep it together.

"Damn, you are so sexy right now." I cooed and started peppering her neck with soft kisses, occasionally nipping at her skin, payback for all these damn hickies she left me. Her breathing came out in shorter gasps until her body wiggled free of my grip as she arched her back and she rolled her head into the pillows then let out one last scream of my name before collapsing back to the bed. I held her in my arms as she caught her breath, her chest rising and falling at a rapid pace, as I brushed away the matted hair from her flushed cheeks. She smiled up at me with one of those special smiles that I just knew were reserved for only me.

"You are so fucking good at that." She said between breaths ad leaned up to take in my bottom lip between hers, tugging on it with her teeth as she wrapped an arm around my neck to deepen the kiss.

"Huh, and you're telling me that they mostly heard _your_ name being screamed? Lies, all lies!" She let out a breathy laugh then reached up with her left hand to grab on my hip and pulled me closer to her, my core hitting her body in just the right spot.

"_Shit!_" I squeaked at the sensation and threw my head back. I looked down to see Santana smirking, and before I knew it, I was being thrown on my back. "Ompf!" I huffed as my bare skin hit the sheets and as I watched Santana sneak a leg between my thighs and dropped to her forearms as she pressed her boobs against mine.

"Who's a top now?" She cooed seductively then began rocking her leg into my core. I let out a muffled whine as she moved, too turned on to even form words."Oh baby, you're so wet!" She teased then dragged her tongue along my jaw leaving a warm wet trail. Now it was my turn to suck in my bottom lip and grip the sheets at all the wonderfully amazing feelings she was giving me. I went to run my hands down her sides when she caught both my wrists and pinned them above my head.

"What's that for?" I pouted, but it didn't last long as she continued to stare down at me with a devilish smirk on. The look practically knocked the wind out of me, I actually felt a little dizzy just seeing her grind on top of me.

"Payback, sweet cheeks." She cooed as one hand held on my wrists and the other slid up my torso to massage one of my boobs. She began rocking her hips into me at a slow yet steady pace, her lips brushing past my collar bone and her hair tickling my chest. I knew I could probably tear away from her one handed hold on my wrists, but something about her trying to be the dominate one turned me on even more. Though I liked having her pin me down, the urge to touch her was becoming unbearable. I needed to feel her skin beneath my fingertips.

"Mm, so good San.." I groaned when I felt her tongue on the shell of my ear while her hips continued to work hard. I attempted to wiggle from her grip, but she ended up just tightening her hold on me.

"Uh-uh, no touching." She husked as she pulled away from my neck and stared down at me with darkened eyes. "Not till I say so." Damn, why is she so sexy? I bit down on my lip and gave her a weak nod. She smirked then took her free hand to graze my wet folds. I bucked my hips instantly at the contact and let out a soft whimper. She smiled then withdrew her hand to steady my thrusting waist.

"St-stop teasing.." I whined when I felt her finger's absence. "_Please.._" I begged with tightly closed eyes. I was too close to my climax for her to be messing around like that; it was already bad enough that I couldn't touch!

"Sorry, babe." She smirked and entered me with two fingers. I let out a squeak at the unexpected feeling, but the shock quickly turned into arousal as she began pumping. I found my hips bucking on their own the more she moved and I could tell by the tightening in my abdomen that I wouldn't last much longer. I wanted so badly to grab on to something, but she still had a pretty tight grip on my wrists.

"C-can I touch now?" I asked between gasps of air and soft moans. I snuck a peek up at her and saw that she was licking her lips and smiling down at me with her eyes. "Pretty please?" I begged sweetly, trying my best to give her my puppy dog eyes.

"Just cause' you asked so nicely.." She replied dropping low to whisper into my ear, the warmth of her breath tickling against my ear. "And you look so damn sexy trying to pout right now.." She pulled away and dropped my wrists to brace herself on the head board. With the new found freedom, I couldn't decide what I wanted to touch first, but ended up going for boobs since they were just swaying there waiting for me to touch. Her hand went back to fingering my wet slit as her thumb continued to rub at my sensitive nub. I felt like I was about to burst, everything she was doing felt so damn good!

"More, baby, so-_uhh!_-close." I groaned and started rocking into her hand for more. "_Unf!_-Right there-_ohh!_-don't stop."

"Come for me, Britt." She husked and quickened her pace until I threw my head back and saw stars. I was gasping for air as I felt my toes curl and my limbs turn to jelly. Another mind blowing orgasm given to me by my amazingly hot girlfriend, no biggie.

"Love our sweet lady sexin'." I laughed once I was able to form words again. Santana chuckled from above then collapsed to my side and snuggled into me.

"I do too." She cooed as she trailed a finger down my chest to my belly button then back up. I would've probably found that super ticklish if my body wasn't so spent. "We have 2 hours till we have to meet Quinn for dinner."

"Hm, just enough time for a third round and a nap!" I said cheerfully then rolled over top of her as we both let out a string of giggles.

_2 Hours & 10 Minutes Later;_

"Hurry up, babe, we're gonna be late!" I called behind me to Santana as we rushed up to the entrance of the restaurant from the second row of the parking lot.

"Hey-hey, don't rush me!" She laughed and quickly walked to my side and reached for my hand. "Who was the one that insisted on a _fourth_ round after we said we'd get ready after the third?" I snuck a peek in her direction and saw her narrowing her eyes at me with a smirk on her lips.

"Well _you're _the one that wanted to change clothes right in front of me knowing how hard it is for me _not_ to touch you when you barely have anything on!" I pouted as I pulled the door open for her to walk through first. "And you're the one who-"

"Alright, you win!" She whined then brushed her finger past my lips. "Just put that pout away before you hurt some poor innocent soul." I rolled my eyes with a tight lipped smile and attempted to nip at her finger before she fully pulled away.

"Oh look who finally decided to show up!" I heard Quinn say from behind me causing me to spin around. She had her hands on her hips and was tapping her foot at the floor; classic Quinn.

"Sorry, we went on round 4 by accident.." I said softly as I directed my gaze to the floor only to have San squeeze at my hand.

"Oh too much info, B, way too much.." Santana laughed just as the hostess called that our table was ready.

"Ew, not when I'm about to eat." Quinn teased and led the way in following the hostess.

I looked over at San who was already looking at me with a smile then leaned over to give me a chaste peck on the cheek before the hostess directed us to our table. Quinn sat on the opposite side of us while I let Santana get the end. Since she's left handed she has to sit on the end so our elbows don't bump when we eat, or that's what she says anyway. I just think she gets all claustrophobic if she's stuck in the corner. Or maybe it brings back bad memories since she _has_ said that she wasn't a very well behaved kid growing up. She said she spent a lot of time in the corner, but who knows!

"Awh, this place is cute!" Quinn chirped as her eyes took in all the 50's decorations and old road signs. I too was letting my eyes wander until I happened to land on a group of teenagers who had their iphones pointed in our direction. I quickly looked away and slid closer to Santana.

"What's wrong, B?" She whispered when I grabbed hold of her hand under the table. She looked past me at the table trying to take pictures of us and groaned. "Don't worry, babe, it'll die down soon. We're a hot commodity right now." She rubbed the back of my hand lovingly until I found it was safe to look up.

"Oh, does this mean I'll be in the magazines too?" Quinn asked hopefully as she subconsciously started to fix her hair. I found myself giggling because; Quinn always looks pretty no matter what so watching her try to 'look pretty' was hilarious.

"Mm, I doubt it." Santana smirked. "They'll probably just crop you out." Quinn's shoulders slumped as she let out a puff of air.

"Damn, whatever then." Quinn shrugged. "Who wants to be in a magazine beside the cutest couple anyway? I'd look like the ultimate third wheel or a giant cockblock."

"Vagblock." I mumbled.

"What?" Quinn and Santana both asked in unison.

"Vagblock." I shrugged. "My girlfriend doesn't have a penis, I've checked." I said innocently and watched as Quinn brought up a hand to stifle her laughter while Santana sat back in her seat with her jaw dropped. I looked at the two with a confused expression before leaning over to Santana. "Unless you do and it's really tiny that I couldn't find it..I mean, I'll love it no matter what size it is." Quinn couldn't contain her laughter any more as she dropped her hand to her tummy and let out hearty laughs while Santana just pressed her lips together.

"Baby, I-I don't have a penis." She said after shaking her head a couple times. "It's all girl down there." I bit down on my bottom lip and nodded.

"Yeah, I thought so." I shrugged. "I mean, I didn't feel earlier when I was-

"Okay, subject change!" Quinn clapped with pink cheeks. "Uhh, Bryce called yesterday to talk to Bella. She was a little upset because she missed her birthday, but I told her it was fine." Quinn said as the waitress brought us our drinks we had ordered earlier and took our orders.

"Wow, I haven't talked to her in a long time." I replied sadly. "I guess I've just been super busy with everything. I'll call her later on."

"Who's Bryce?" Santana asked with a raised brow.

"Oh, my little sister." I replied not realizing that I've never told her. "She's almost 12."

"Oh, I didn't know you had a sister." She answered as she sipped on her drink.

"Yeah, she's my only sibling." Then I gestured over to Quinn. "I mean, Quinn is sort of my sister also but I guess not legally." Santana looked over at me with her forehead crinkled in confusion.

"When I got pregnant with Bella, my parents kicked me out and Britt's family took me in." Quinn explained. "Her parents are practically my parents now, they're really good people."

"Huh, I see where Britt could get that from." Santana said and squeezed on my hand a little causing me to smile over at her.

"Yeah, it feels like I haven't seen them in forever." I sighed then looked over to Quinn. "When's the last time they came here?"

"Mm, I think it was Bella's third birthday." Quinn replied. "Damn, it's been 2 years already!" It made me a little sad thinking about how long it's been since I've seen my family and I didn't like being sad, so I opted to change topics.

"What about you?" I asked turning to Santana. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"I also have a sister." She replied quietly. "An older sister, just by a year though." I nodded waiting for her to tell more about her sister, even give a name, but she never did. She just played with the straw in her cup and kept her eyes lowered. I glanced over to Quinn and she had the same strange feeling that I did.

"Oh, well..what about your parents?" I asked after an awkward silence. "Are they super sweet like you?" I asked with a hopeful smile, but Santana just smirked.

"They have their moments." She sighed sarcastically with her jaw clenched. I took that as a sign to switch subjects, family was not something Santana was comfortable talking about, that was made pretty clear.

"Well, on a somewhat brighter note.." Quinn said breaking the weird tension in the air. " I-uh-saw Brooke yesterday when I was picking Bella up from school."

"You suck at changing the subject." I groaned and shot Quinn a glare, but she just shrugged it away.

"Whatever. Well _she_ saw _me_ and winked, it was gross. Plus Bella was with me so that made it even more awkward because you know how Bella likes to ask tons of questions and what not." Quinn rambled in hopes that it would somewhat lighten the mood.

"That's funny." Santana laughed lightly as the waitress set down our plates. "Did she wink with her left or right eye?"

"What the hell? Why would I remember that?" Quinn laughed as she unraveled her napkin. "Actually, wait, I think it was her right. Yeah, it was her right."

"Woah, she can do both?" I asked shocked turning to Santana. "I think I can only do one side." I winked with my left effortlessly but the right was a little harder.

"B, stop you look like you're twitching." Santana smiled and shook her head slightly. "You're silly." I shrugged and grinned down at my food. At least she was smiling again, and if I had to act goofy just to have it happen I'd do it. "Oh, and if it was her left she was just fucking with you." Santana answered before taking a bite of her burger. "She only winks with her left if she _really_ wants something."

"What? There's meaning behind her winks? What?" Quinn asked with a quirked brow.

"Yeah, it's odd." Santana shrugged. "I picked up on it when I caught her winking at girls and each time was a different eye she'd wink with."

"Wait, so you've caught her doing that stuff before but you never did anything?" Quinn asked half shocked and half amused.

"Quinn.." I warned but I already knew where this was going.

"Damn, are all your exes that psycho?" Quinn teased as she bit down on some fries. I turned to look at Santana who was just laughing along, but I noticed they were sort of forced laughs. Her cheeks weren't bunched up in that way where she smiles a real smile.

"No, Q, they're not." Santana said after a few more weird giggles. I found it strange but I didn't wanna say anything, so I just went back to eating, maybe I'm just over analyzing things.

"Whatever, either way, since Britt's way too nice to give it to you straight, I'll be the one to say what everyone's thinking." I looked over to Quinn with raised brows. Please don't say anything stu- "I'm pretty sure we're all sick and tired of dealing with Brooke's bullshit." Ugh, here we go.

"Quinn.." I warned again but she ignored it.

"If you and Britt are together now, why is nothing being done about Brooke?" Quinn sat back a little in her seat and focused her eyes on Santana who had her head cocked to the side staring Quinn right in the eyes. "She's _your_ ex girlfriend, and from what I've seen, it's always _Britt_ doing all the work. She talks down your relationship and says that she'll get you back, yet the only memorable thing you've done is sing her an angsty song. Britt's gotten into a physical fight with her and Britt doesn't even like video games with fighting involved." I swallowed thickly at the mention of my name, but also at the fact that this conversation was not going in a very good direction. Oh please don't have two of the most important people in the world to me argue, I don't know if I could take that. What if they make me pick sides? No, they wouldn't do that. I chanced a look in Santana's direction and saw that she was actually pretty calm looking. That's a good sign, right? "For all we know, you're still _in love_ with Brooke!" Well, there goes that idea.

"Quinn!" I snapped when I heard the words leave her mouth. "Stop trying to cause trouble."

"It's okay, B, let her finish." Santana said quietly but I could tell that she was a little hurt by Quinn's words.

"Well, it's true!" She shrugged defensively then looked over at Santana with a softened expression. "I mean, I'm just telling it like it is. Don't get me wrong, I like you with Britt but something's gotta change with this whole Brooke thing."

"She's trying, Quinn." I butted in but Quinn just shot me a glare that I could've sworn I was immune too, but I still felt the little twinge in my stomach at the look.

"Stop fighting her battles for her, Britt." Quinn commanded and focused back on Santana. "You're the only one that can stop this, Santana, you've just got to stop being so afr-"

"I'm not afraid." Santana snapped, making my head spin in her direction. She too had on an icy glare as the y both stared down each other with this weird intensity that was not sitting too well with me. Then there was silence. I kept looking at both of them waiting for someone to speak or maybe get slapped, but nothing happened. Just silence.

"Prove it." Quinn smirked just as the waitress came by and set down the check.

"Alright, enough of that!" I clapped breaking the two from their stare down. "Quinn, we've talked about this before. Just stop." Quinn huffed and took her part of the bill while I reached for me and Santana's.

"I got it, B." Santana said, but her voice didn't sound at all like it usually did. It made me look over to her, but her eyes were lowered on her purse. I didn't have to see her eyes though to know that they were probably stormy again. Damn that Quinn and her _tough love_ pep talks! I reached over and stopped her hand from pulling out any money, making her look up at me. Yup, just as I suspected; stormy eyes.

"It's okay, baby, let me get it this time." I said with a sweet smile hoping that some of the clouds in her eyes would disappear. They did. "You always pay." I added and leaned over to give her a quick kiss on the cheek before pulling away to grab for my money.

That 4 minutes it took for our waitress to bring us back our change was probably the most awkward 4 minutes I have ever taken part in, and I've taken part in many awkward moments. Neither girl said anything while this new tension fell over our table. I wanted to try and lighten the mood, but I had no idea what to say. Quinn pretty much told Santana what I didn't have enough courage to say and _this_ was the outcome. All I could do was attempt to glare at Quinn for making Santana upset and stroke the back of Santana's hand hoping that she knew that I am still here for her no matter what Quinn said.

As soon as the waitress came back, we were out the door. I could already tell Santana's behavior was changing just by how loosely she was holding on to my hand and they way her jaw was clenched tight like she usually does when she's upset or in deep thought.

"Hey." I whispered as we were exiting the restaurant. Santana turned to me with a blank expression and darkened eyes. "Are we-are you okay?" She blinked a couple times and licked her lips before answering.

"Of course."

"Are you sure?" I asked hesitantly. "I know that look in your eyes; _something_ is bothering you."

"Britt, I'm okay. You're okay. We're okay." I stared at her for a moment to process her words and nodded slightly.

"Okay, just don't take Quinn's words too seriously." I said as I brought up our clasped hands to my chest and brushed my lips past her knuckles. Thankfully that had her smiling for a bit, but not the normal toothy grin she usually has on, but a weak smile. "She doesn't mean to come off like that; she only acts that way towards people she cares about." Santana cocked her head to the side and raised a brow. "I care a lot about you and it's only natural for her to do the same. She just wants the best for both of us, that's all." I watched as she slowly closed her eyes and nodded. There was another long pause again as we walked to her car. "Babe, are you sure everything's alright?" I asked once we made our way inside and buckled ourselves in. She turned to me with pursed lips and nodded.

"Of course, B, everything's fine."

They way her eyes flickered from mine to the radio, her tensed shoulders, how her hands were fidgeting in her lap, that little breath she took before speaking, everything about her in that moment told me that everything was definitely not fine.

* * *

A/N Trouble in paradise? Maybe. But at least I threw in some more sexy times though, right? ( ; Let me know.


	28. Chapter 28 Misunderstandings

A/N Hey guys! This was going to be cut in two, but I couldn't leave you guys with all this angst..but good stories need angst to keep things interesting, right? ( ; Let me know!

* * *

CHAPTER 28

For the first time in my life, I don't feel like dancing. Everything just seems wrong. The music is wrong. The movements are wrong. The emotion is wrong. Everything is all wrong! I slump against the mirrors until I land in a sitting position and bring my knees up to my chest then wrap my arms around them. I let out a shaky sigh, why does everything feel so wrong? I don't know why I think that though, I already know the answer. But that's the reason why I'm here, attempting to dance away all the bad feelings, that's the reason why I feel so out of place. It's supposed to work, dancing away my stress, but it doesn't. For the first time, dancing doesn't help. I rest my forehead on my knees and try to push away all the thoughts that keep finding their way back in.

"Britt.." I hear someone call, but it's not who I want it to be so why bother even looking up. "Britt, what are you doing here?" The voice is closer now and by this time I know who is speaking. "You don't work today." They position themselves next to me, our bodies close but not touching. "Hey, look at me." They beg but I don't make a move. "Britt, honey, you can talk to me." By now tears have started running down my cheeks, but I can't see why I still even have tears to cry. I've cried so much already. "Oh honey, don't cry." They beg again and drape an arm around my shoulders then tug me close until my head hits the softness of their shoulder pad. "Why are you covered in soda? It smells like Dr Pepper.." They rub soothingly on my arm as my soft crying turns to body shaking sobs. "Okay never mind, cry it out girl, it's good to cry." I don't know why, but them saying that made me want to smile a bit. Just a little bit though, I'm still sad. "Just talk whenever you're ready." They say softly and comforting making me feel like I could tell them anything and everything, even the secret stuff that I haven't even said to Quinn yet. I take a peek up at them through tear filled eyes and a quivering bottom lip.

"Kurt, why can't I be good enough for her?"

_3 Days Ago;_

I was sitting at the kitchen counter bored out of my mind debating whether or not I should try to call Santana again. It had been 2 days since we had dinner with Quinn yet Santana was _still _acting weird. Yesterday was Wednesday, and being that it was a Wednesday, we were suppose to go out to Breadstix for lunch like we do every Wednesday and Friday, but we didn't. 15 minutes before we usually would meet up, she called me to tell me she couldn't get away from work so she had to cancel. Ever since we've made the tradition, we've never canceled a lunch date, until now. I believed her though, her job can be very stressful and she does get extremely busy from time to time so I didn't think anything of it. I could always wait until she got off work to see her, that's what we'd usually do anyway after we've both had busy days.

I called her again around 6:30, that's generally about the time she'd call me to come over there or tell me she's coming over here, but she didn't answer. It was weird getting her voicemail, because of all the months that I've known her; I don't think I've ever gotten her voicemail. Maybe she forgot to take her phone off vibrate; I usually do that sometimes too. I sat down on the couch with my phone in my lap waiting for a call but after 15 minutes I gave into the urge of just calling her back. Voicemail again, but this time I stayed on the phone.

"Hi baby, it's me." I said cheerfully. "You must be super busy because I don't think I've ever gotten your voicemail before, or maybe you're just taking a nap." I started to zone off to all the things that she could possibly be doing that would keep her from answering my phone call, but I quickly regained focus when I remembered that these things were timed. "Well, call me back. I miss you, bye!" I ended the call and laid the phone back down in my lap as I switched on the tv. I tried to concentrate on whatever show I was watching, but I couldn't help but keep checking my phone for a call, a text, something! But still, noth-

"Oh thank God!" I sighed as I pressed the answer button on my phone when Santana's picture popped up on my screen. "Hi!"

"Hey, sorry I missed your call." Santana said softly. "I left my phone in the car."

"Oh, I've so done that before. I actually I've left it on _top_ of the car once; I didn't have a phone for a whole week. It sucked."

"Sounds like it." She answered lowly.

"You okay, babe?"

"Uh-huh, just super tired." She sighed.

"Oh, you wanna come over?" I asked hopefully. "I'll order Chinese food?"

"Mm, I think I'm going to stay in tonight." She replied in the same monotone voice. I waited for an invitation but it never came. "I'm actually gonna go to sleep early tonight, I'm really tired.."

"Really? It's only like 7:10 though?"

"Yeah, I know."

"Well, okay then." I said a little bit disappointed because I didn't get to see her all day and now I can't even talk to her because she going to sleep. "Goodnight, baby. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Britt."

_The Next day;_

Thursdays are the days when Santana comes in at 10:15. It's like clockwork, she's never late and she's never early, it's always exactly 10:15. I feel a little anxious because I feel like it's been weeks since I've seen her, when really, it's only been a day and a half. I find myself checking my hair in the metal of the coffee machine and making sure that I'm free of any coffee stains for when she comes in. I don't want to look all messy and what not because then she might not wanna hug me or something. It's dead right now, aside from the few stragglers that come in from time to time, none of which are Santana. My stomach's doing flips so I go to clean off some tables in the dining area in hopes that it'll kill time and distract me from counting the seconds until-

I spin around when I hear the bells of the front door chime but it's not who I wanted it to be. "Hi Heather!" I greet somewhat cheerfully and give her a wave then glance over to her two friends. "Hi Heather's friends!" The three teens wave over to me as they walk up to give Jacob their orders. I find myself looking up at the clock again; 10:09. Alright, 6 more minutes, I can do that. I walk over to another table that isn't occupied now by Heather and her friends and start wiping away. I wonder if she's really busy; then again, why would she lie about being busy? She just seems so distant ever since Quinn's little speech at dinner. I don't really know what to say, because I thought that I had made it clear that whatever problems she has to face with Brooke, I'd be right besides her helping her along. Unlike Quinn, I don't think Santana's in love with Brooke. I mean, she _was_ but not anymore. I believe she sincerely wants to move on, but it's like she's stuck. It's like Brooke still has her chained to her and their past and it's hard for Santana to do anything new. We need to find a way to break the chains.

"Hey Britt, you got a call!" Jacob calls over the counter to me, wiggling the store phone in his hand. I look over to him and nod. I walk over behind the counter and toss my dirty towel in the sing then wipe my hands on my apron before taking the call.

"Hi, this is Brittany." I say into the receiver of the phone.

"Hey, it's me." My stomach does a little flip at hearing Santana's voice, but it's just a little flip because her voice is just like it sounded yesterday; tired, emotionless, drained.

"Oh hey, baby, what's up?" I glance over at the clock; 10:13.

"Nothing, I just needed to hear your voice." I smile at the words and feel like my cheeks are heating up, but they don't because her voice isn't happy sounding. I don't even have to look at her to know that she's doing a ton of thinking, too much thinking, and it's making her upset.

"That's very sweet of you." I coo hoping that it would spark some type of life in her, but I don't think it does. "It's almost 10:15, are you still coming in?" I begin twirling the cord of the phone in my fingers; for some reason I'm nervous to hear her answer. I don't want it to be-

"Sorry, I can't today." That, I didn't want it to be that. "I'm just super stressed out and-"

"Busy, I understand." I didn't mean to cut her off using such a cold tone towards her, but I couldn't help it, this would be the third time she's disrupted our routine. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound angry. I know your job can be very stressful, maybe you can come by after you get off?"

"Yeah, I'll try." I know she won't though, and I don't really understand why she's acting like this.

"Well, I'm supposed to pick Bella up from school tomorrow. You're usually off on Fridays; do you want to come with me?" I can't believe I'm attempting to use Bella to try to get her to see me, but I know she can't say no when it comes to Bella. "She's been asking about you since she hasn't seen you since the party.."

"I've got a meeting tomorrow." She says quietly.

"Can't you reschedule it or something?" I pout, my voice sounding like I'm begging.

"It's better if I don't." She answers. "I want to get this over with." She confuses me with her answers again. I want to talk to her about what's making her upset, but I know her. She won't want to talk, until she's at the breaking point. She has her own way of dealing with whatever's bothering her, and sadly I'm not in the picture, not until she has a full on breakdown in my arms. I don't want it to get to that point though; it doesn't have to be like that.

"You know, San, it's not good to bottle things up." I say softly with my eyes lowered. "You can talk to me about anything, ever." She doesn't say anything for awhile, but I know she's still there, I can hear her breathing.

"I know, B, and trust me this has nothing to do with you."

"What is that supposed to mea-"

"I've got to go now; I'll see you as soon as I can." She said abruptly. "Bye, Britt."

"Bye." I whisper but the line is already dead. I let my shoulders slump then hang up the phone. What the hell is she talking about? Why is everything a mystery when it comes to her? What can't she just talk it out like a normal person? Shake the thoughts and try to focus on work. I look up to see Heather staring at me with her head tilted to the side. She gives me a lopsided grin like she knows something's upsetting me. I'm sure anyone could tell what I'm feeling, I'm easily readable. I wish Santana was like that too sometimes. I return with a small grin and go to wipe down the coffee machine until my shift comes to an end.

_Later That Night;_

I sit on the couch with all the lights off. Nothing's on, no tv, no music, just the silence. Quinn's out with Bella and Mercedes but they should be home in about an hour. Good, just enough time for me to mope around and try to decipher what Santana meant by saying what she did on the phone earlier. I wish she would just come out with it; I've never been good with reading minds. I mean, I've tried before but it never works. It has to be what Quinn said at dinner that's bothering her, there's nothing else I could think of. I hear keys grinding into the lock of the front door; they're home early.

"Britt?" Quinn's voice echos in the darkness. "Why are all the lights off?" I don't make a move; I just stay still until my eyes are blinded by all the lights that flicker on.

"Britty, why you look so sad?" Bella asks as she rounds the couch and crawls on to my lap. I bite down on my lip to keep myself from tearing up in front of the little girl.

"Baby, why don't you go play for a bit?" Quinn says from behind me. Bella looks at me but I can't bring myself to look at her in the eyes so she just slides off my lap and walks away. Quinn sits next to me and tilts her body to face me. "What's going on Britt?" She asks once Bella's gone. "You were sitting in the dark and you are _afraid_ of the dark." I don't answer though, not for a while, but Quinn's not leaving until she gets an reply.

"Why is she avoiding me, Q, what did I do?" I ask before tears begin to fall down my cheeks. I feel slender arms wrap around my shoulders in a tight hug.

"Don't blame yourself, B, she's probably got a lot to think about."

"No thanks to you!"

"I know, I'm a bitch, but someone had to say something to her." Quinn said as she rubbed at my back soothingly.

"B-But you didn't have to be so mean.."

"I wasn't trying to be mean on purpose. It's just, girls like Santana need that kind of tough love to get them thinking straight again." I looked over at Quinn to see her with her eyes lowered to the floor. "We're so alike, me and Santana, it's crazy.."

"Yeah, I've thought about that too."

"I guess that's why I said what I did." She shrugged. "I know it wasn't my place to do so, and I'm sorry for that, but if someone would've given me that kind of speech when I was younger, I probably would've bypassed a whole lot of heartbreak."

"Yeah, I get it. I just don't understand why she's avoiding me.."

"Like I said, Britt, she's got a lot of thinking to do." Quinn shrugged then patted my knee. "If she's anything like me, which she is, she's probably trying to figure herself out."

"B-But, she doesn't have to do this alone.."

"She does, Britt, only she can get rid of Brooke. She has to be the one to break those bonds." I let out a deep sigh then nodded.

"Okay.."

_Friday Afternoon; _

Being that it was Friday, there wasn't really much hope for Santana to come in since she doesn't normally come in on Fridays. Then again, she has surprised me before. I doubt she would today though since she's been so _busy_. I tried to focus on what Quinn said last night about letting Santana handle everything on her own, but I just kept picturing her alone and crying and me not there to comfort her. That was one of my biggest worries when it came to Santana; not being there when she needed me most. But I knew Quinn was right, Santana needed to do this herself. I guess I just really miss her; her laugh, her smile, her eyes, her lips, her scent, everything. This is like the longest it's been without actually seeing each other and what a long 3 days it's been! I sighed and went back to making whatever drinks Christy ordered, not even looking up from the machine anymore. I kept an ear listening to Christy's orders because I still couldn't quite grasp the concept of the scribbles.

"Salted Caramel Latte for Gil!" I called as I capped a lid on the cup and set it on the counter before walking back over to reach for another cup Christy was already holding out to me.

"That one's a White Hot Chocolate." I nodded and went to make the drink. I focused my attention on pouring the scalding milk, making sure I don't burn myself again then go to add the flavorings before topping the hot liquid with whipped cream then sprinkle a pinch of chocolate shavings on top. I always liked making hot chocolates here, they always looked so pretty when I finished. I capped the cup with a tiny grin and went to set it on the counter.

"White Hot Chocolate for.." I spun the cup around for the name and ended up doing a double take.

"That's mine." Santana smiled and took a step toward me. My eyes lit up and my tensed shoulders seemed to drop just at hearing the sound of her voice. She took the cup from my hands, letting her fingers brush past mine briefly before smiling again. "Hi."

"H-Hey." I stammered. She let out a little laugh and shook her head.

"Oh how I've missed your cute stuttering." She teased and leaned over the counter for a quick kiss on my lips. It was too fast for me though, I haven't kissed her in days and that little peck didn't really help anything. I looked over to Christy who was already smiling at me.

"Go ahead, Britt, Jacob's here now." She said and shooed me away with her hands. I quickly threw off my apron and joined Santana at a far table near the windows. Thankfully there weren't any more customers so I didn't really have to worry about people trying to take pictures of us. It was cool and all being like a celebrity, but sometimes I needed my privacy. I could totally get why Britney Spears beat up that one guy with her umbrella. I looked up at Santana and took in the bags under her eyes and how beat she looked; she must really be working hard. Or maybe she hasn't been getting a lot of sleep lately like me. I reached my hand across the table and set it on top of hers.

"This was a nice surprise." I sighed as she sipped on her drink with a weak smile.

"Yeah, I'm sorry I've been a little distant." She said as she set the cup back on the table. "Work's been hell and I've just-I've really been trying to figure things out." She lowered her eyes to our hands and began playing with my fingers. "I've been thinking a lot about what Quinn said."

"Babe, I told you." I sighed, dipping my head down to find her eyes. "Q likes seeing results now, but this isn't her relationship." I watched as she bit down on her lip then took another sip of her drink. "You don't have to prove anything to me, I already know and like you said before, and our opinions are the only ones that matters when it comes to us."

"Yeah, I know." She muttered then smiled up at me. "Thank you for being so patient with me."

"That's what girlfriends do." I winked as she leaned over the table to give me a soft kiss. This time it wasn't hurried, and though Christy and Jacob were just a few feet away, she cupped my cheek and deepened the kiss. Oh how I've missed those lips, I can actually feel mine tingling as they molded together. But just like that, it was over and she was pulling back with a grin.

"I missed that." She sighed with a content smile then took another sip of her hot chocolate.

"Me too, you tasted like chocolate." Her shoulders bounced at my comment as she let out a little snicker. It was nice to hear her laughing again, I didn't like when she looked so serious and tense. "Oh, Sam and Quinn are taking Bella out tonight to the movies. Do you wanna go too?"

"Britt, I told you yesterday, I have a meeting later on." She's back to being serious again and it makes my smile falter a bit. Why did I even ask? "Baby, please don't pout.."

"I didn't realize I was.." I said quietly and pulled my hand back from hers then look over to the register. "I should get back to work." I moved to get up from the chair, shocking myself as I turned to leave. "I'll see you-uh- whenever." Santana gets up now too and reaches for my wrist.

"Hey, don't be mad at me." She says softly as I turn to look at her. "Please.." Her voice comes out in a whisper and her eyes are pleading. I know being mad at her will just make things worse so I shouldn't hold anything against her. I bite down on my lip again and nod before bringing her in for a tight embrace. Maybe if I hug her tight enough some of that weight on her shoulders will melt away and she won't seem so lost. I hold her in my arms for as long as I can, savoring the moment because who knows when I'll see her again. When I pull away, our eyes lock and we end up smiling again.

"Not mad." I say quietly then give her one last kiss before walking back to behind the counter.

_Later That Night;_

"Are you sure you don't want to come, Britt?" Quinn called from the hallway as she helped Bella into her jacket. "I think it would be good for you to get your mind off of things."

"No, it's okay." I answer from the couch as I bring my knees up to my chest and lean on the arm rest. "I don't wanna be a mellow marsher.." Quinn walked over to me and patted my back making me turn to look up at her.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" She asked with her eyes narrowed.

"Uh-huh, I just want to be alone for a bit." I answer as Bella comes around the corner then climbs up on the couch with me with her boots dangling off the edge of the cushions.

"Cheer up, Britty." Bella coos and burrows her head into my side and slips an arm around my waist. I smile down at the little blonde and place a kiss to the top of her head.

"Will do, Peanut, you go have fun now." I say as happily as I can and place her back on the floor.

"Alright B, we'll be back later." Quinn calls as she and Bella leave to meet Sam downstairs. I don't know why, I said I wouldn't be mad, but I feel really frustrated with Santana. I understand she's trying to figure things out and all, but why do I get the feeling she's avoiding me or worse, hiding something from me? I really hope that this doesn't last long, because I hate feeling so lost. I settle into the couch attempting to watch some tv to get my mind off things, but after an hour, I'm over it. It's almost 6 and I haven't eaten dinner yet, maybe I'll just go out for food. I've always found it kinda nice eating alone.

About 20 minutes later I'm sitting in a diner down the street from the apartment struggling to decide what I want to order. I keep my eyes focused on the menu, my finger following along the lines of items when a familiar voice makes its way to my ears. I look up at the sound and my eyes instantly fall on who I had suspected; Santana. My stomach flips, but not in a good way, because when I see that she's not alone. I blink a couple times hoping that my eyes are deceiving me, but they aren't. Santana is sitting there, at the bar, with none other than miss fancy head surgeon herself, Brooke Petterson.

I try to block the negative thoughts from finding their way into my head, but it's proving impossible. Why didn't she tell me her _meeting_ was with Brooke? What are they talking about? Why are they sitting so close? How long have they been here? Have they been talking all this time? Was she the reason why Santana's been so distant from me? Please don't let Quinn be right, please don't let Santana still be in love with Brooke. I continued to stare at the two, wishing that I could hear what they were saying or be able to read lips. Now would be a great time for those mind reading powers to kick in.

"Hi, are you ready to order?" The waitress comes over with her note pad out and pen ready then stares down at me with a smile. I tear my eyes away from Santana and point to an item on the menu and ask for a Dr Pepper. "Alright, I'll be back with your drink in a sec!" She says cheerfully and walks off.

I let out a shaky sigh and go back to looking at Santana and Brooke trying to interpret their body language or something. My eyes widen as Santana turns to face my direction but focuses her eyes on Brooke. I duck down a bit for some reason to avoid being seen. I wish I would've just looked away though, because what I see next practically breaks my heart in two.

She smiles, but not just any smile, _the_ smile, _my_ smile. Santana smiles at Brooke with the smile that I thought was reserved only for me. I find my shoulders tensing and my brows furrowing. How could she smile _my_ smile? And to, of all people, Brooke! I can't tell whether I'm angry or I'm sad, so I shut my eyes and try to calm myself down. It was just a smile, nothing to get all ma-

I watch as she leans over to Brooke then wraps her arms around her shoulders. A hug? Why is she hugging her ex girlfriend? She doesn't need to do that! I rip my eyes away and stare down at the table. I can't take it anymore. Santana's obviously still hung up on her ex. I mean, I could see why. Brooke would be able to provide so much better for her; she could buy her nice birthday presents and take her out to expensive restaurants. The public loved them together as a couple, so they may as well try again. I mean, they always break up and get back together right? I bet I was just a rebound. Yeah, I was stupid to even think Santana could fall for someone like me. Just the coffee girl. Just the dancer. How would we even work? I don't fit into her fancy life at all.

I feel the tears welling up in my eyes and quickly slide out of the booth just in time to collide with the waitress bringing me my drink. Just my luck, I think to myself. The both of us crash to the floor, Dr Pepper spilling all over me, and the sound of glass shattering echos in the small diner.

"I'm so sorry." I say to the waitress with tears threatening to fall as I scramble to get up.

"Britt, are you okay?" I turn to see Santana kneeling next to me with her arms extended, attempting to help me up. "Always so clumsy." She tries to tease, but I just keep seeing the images of her and Brooke hugging in my head and can't bring myself to melt in her caring hands like I would normally do. "Here, baby, let me help you up." I feel my skin burning. She actually has the nerve to call me that after she was_ just_ canoodling with her ex? I don't think so. I'm not just some person in her life she can take advantage of, I've got feelings too!

"I'm not your baby." I snap and push away from her helping hands and stand up on my own. She stays kneeling and looks up at me with her lips parted and her brow furrowed. I give her one last look before walking away; leaving her there on the ground with her jaw dropped as I push past people and make it out on to the bustling streets then break out in a full sprint towards Showtimes.

_Present Time;_

"Oh I'm going to kick her ass!" Kurt huffs and pulls out a maroon handkerchief from the pocket of his blazer then starts to dab at my eyes. "You _are _good enough for her. You're like the kindest, sweetest, most down to earth girl in the whole world!" He says, tilting my chin up so we lock eyes. "Don't ever think you're not good enough."

"B-B-But Brooke's a big doctor at a super nice hospital a-a-and has all this money to buy Santana special stuff a-a-and they were in all those magazines together a-a-and everyone likes them together."

"Britt, if you think that Santana would ever go back to Brooke just because she has a lot of money, you obviously haven't been paying much attention because she can definitely provide for herself."

"But Brooke-"

"Who gives a shit about Brooke, Britt?" He says and hearing him curse kinda shocks me out of my downward spiral pity party. "Yeah she's a fancy doctor and all, and maybe she has a lot of money, but she doesn't have your personality, she doesn't care for Santana like the way you do. You don't need to compare yourself to her, because she doesn't stand a chance against you. Okay?" I stare at him as he speaks sternly to me. "Okay?" He asks again and nods a little to me.

"Okay." I mumble with a shrug.

"Besides Britt, with all that you've said about Santana being distant because she was trying to figure stuff out, she could've just been telling Brooke to back off for all we know." He shrugs as he sits back but continues to rub at my arm. "Maybe you just caught them at the wrong time? I know how much Santana likes you because she's never been so _tame_, not even with Brooke, like she has been with you. It's like you make her a better person, and I doubt she would mess things up with someone who has that type of effect on her." I let his words swish around in my head; maybe I _did_ catch them at the wrong time? But that doesn't explain _my_ smile being displayed to someone that wasn't me.

"Yeah, maybe."

_The Next Day;_

I haven't moved from my bed all afternoon, why should I? I keep seeing my phone buzz, but I know whose calling and right now, I don't feel like speaking to her. I keep thinking about what Kurt said, trying to see how that could be true but I can't seem to get the images of Santana and Brooke being together out of my head. I hit the ignore button for the billionth time and throw the covers over my head. I wish I could just lay here forever and not feel so crappy. My eyes sting whenever I blink, probably from all the crying, and my limbs feel like dead weight. I wish I could go back to sleep, but I can't and if I do, my problems will just haunt me in my dreams.

"Britt?" I heard Quinn say from the other side of my bedroom door. "I'm coming in, I don't even care." I groan and bury my head into my pillows; I really don't feel like talking right now. I hear the door open and close then the space next to me on the bed dip. "Britt, you need to get out of the house. You can't stay in bed all day moping." I groan and mumble into my pillows. "I can't understand you.."

"I said, I'm staying right here all day." I mutter. "I'm not moving, you can't make me!" I feel the covers being pulled off of my head, light flooding into the dark cave I had made.

"I hate seeing you like this, B, I'm so going to kick San's ass for this." Quinn says, but it's mostly to herself.

"No, don't." I whisper. "She might hurt you, I don't want her to break you.."

"I'm pretty sure she wouldn't break me, but okay, I won't kick her ass." She huffs as she crosses her arms over her chest. "But if you don't get out of this room soon, I'm bringing in the reinforcements!" I take a peek up at her and shake my head.

"No, you wouldn't.."

"Oh, I totally would." She smirks then tugs at the sheets wrapped around my legs. "Get up or I'm calling her in here." I can't concentrate on her speaking because my phone begins to buzz again. I reach over and hit the ignore button. "You've got to talk to her, Britt, at least let her explain or something."

"Ugh, Quinn leave me alone!" I whine and throw the covers back over my head.

"Fine." She huffs then moves from the bed. I heard my bed room door open signaling her departure. I let out a sigh and sink back into my pillows hoping that sleep would soon overtake me, but it doesn't. Instead I feel tiny arms around my waist and a little blonde head burrowing under my blankets until I'm met with hazel eyes and a worried smile. I guess Quinn _would_ send Bella in here to talk to me..

"Britty, why are you so sad?" Bella asks making me want to cry. I hate when people ask that, it only upsets me even more, but Bella doesn't know that. She's just trying to help.

"Silly things, Peanut, very silly things." I mumble as I wrap my arms around the little girl.

"Like what?" She asks with concerned eyes. I contemplated whether or not I should vent to a 5 year old, but I decided a long time ago that Bella was love guru.

"I saw Sanny hug that lady you don't like and it made me very sad." I watched as Bella let out a 'ohh' and nods in understanding.

"That makes me a lil sad too.." She said quietly and I feel a little bad that I've just transferred all my sad feelings on to poor innocent Bella, but she quickly perks up and smiles a big smile up at me. "Wh-what if it was just a goodbye hug?"

"A goodbye hug?"

"Yeah!"

"Hm, that makes sense.." I mumble, letting her words change the way the images of Santana hugging Brooke makes me feel. Brooke _did_ play a big role in Santana's life, and when you say goodbye to important people, you hug them bye. Maybe she was finally saying goodbye to that part of her life? It does sort of fit, I could actually see how that could be, but I'm still not quite sure. "You're such a smartie, Peanut!" I coo and hug the little girl who giggles away.

"You guys need to stop being so silly all the time!" She says as she rolls out from under the sheets and slides off the bed. "Everyone would be happy and not sad and stay in bed all day." She pokes her tongue out at me then runs out to the living room. I roll over onto my back and stare up at the ceiling. Bella makes everything sound so simple. Maybe it is and we're just the ones complicating everything. Maybe I shouldn't have reacted the way that I did at the diner. If San was doing something she wasn't proud of, she wouldn't have come and tried to help me up, right? Maybe I was a little rough on her. I don't know, I just need to think this out.

An hour later I'm standing at the edge of the pond I always go to with a couple slices of bread in my hands, eyes set on the horizon. I tear off a little piece and toss it to water where a few ducks have gathered. I smile down at them; I bet they don't have to deal with this kind of stuff. Hm, I wish I was a duck. Then I could fly and not worry about my girlfriend still being in love with her ex. I bite down on my lip and rip off another piece of bread and throw it in the water. Why is feeding ducks so calming to me? I feel so at ease, but feeding the ducks doesn't keep the thoughts away for too long. Plus, I've run out of bread.

I don't feel like leaving yet though so I go to sit on the bench. Last time I was here, Santana was with me. I let out a deep sigh; I miss Santana. Why does everything have to be so damn complicated? Why can't she like me and I like her and there's no interruptions of past girlfriends and we live happily ever after with a whole bunch of babies and cute cat or something? I sit all the way back on the bench and fold my arms over my chest as I stare out towards the pond. I hear leaves crunching from behind me and quickly look over my shoulder.

"Hey.." Santana says softly as she walks over to the bench but doesn't sit. "I thought I'd find you here. You haven't returned any of my phone calls.." I don't look at her though, if I do, all the feelings she gives me will come rushing back and I'd probably just forget anything ever happened. "C-Can I sit with you?" She stammers and it shocks me a little. I keep my eyes trained on the edge of the water and nod until I feel her presence closer to me. We sit in silence for a bit, neither of us knowing who should speak first.

"I don't understand you, San." I say breaking the silence. "You're distant one minute then all smiles and kisses then next I find you hugging your ex girlfriend." I turn to look at her, finally noticing her puffy eyes. "Were you avoiding me this whole time because you were hanging out with her? If you want to be back with her then go ahead, if that's what you really want-"

"B, it's not what you think." She sighs. "I don't want her; I want you, just you. I'm trying so hard to get everyone to see that but it's not working!"

"So you aren't still in love with her?" I ask hesitantly.

"Definitely not." Her voice comes out confident and sure which only makes me smile a little. "Everything I do isn't good enough! To me I feel like I'm taking a big step forward but to everyone else I'm just stuck in the past. Every accomplishment I make goes unnoticed but as soon as I cower, everyone's on my ass! It's hard, B, it's really hard. To even think that my friends are questioning my faithfulness to you hurts." I want to hug her so bad and tell her that she needs to stop thinking about what everyone thinks, but I can't just yet. "I met with Brooke yesterday to talk things out. She _did _play a big part in my life for a while and ending things the way that I did seemed sort of petty. I just-I just wanted some type of closure between us. Quinn was right about it all though, that's why I've been avoiding you." She turns her body to face me and I can see tears threatening to fall, but they don't, she won't let them. "Quinn made me realize how much I've been hurting you with being so lenient on Brooke, and even though you don't say anything, I know I haven't been the best girlfriend to you. You're just so patient and wonderful and good and I'm-I'm not. God, I'm so sorry Britt, I didn't mean to put you through all this."

"San-"

"Wait, let me finish. I want to tell you everything so that there won't be any more speculations, okay?" Her hand finds mine on my thigh as I nod. "I called to meet with Brooke to settle things once and for all. We aren't going to get back together, B, I can promise you that. She's got nothing on you and I wanna make sure you and everyone who keeps an eye on our relationship to know that." She gives me a weak smile as she squeezes my hand a little. "And that hug you saw was given because she agreed to lay off. She actually wants to have dinner just the three of us to clear the air as well as apologize to you too." I don't know what to think. I'm a little relieved, yet I'm still sort of hesitant about this all.

"That doesn't explain the smile.."

"Huh? What smile?"

"_My_ smile."

"_Your_ smile?" She asks with a quirked brow. "I don't understand."

"You've got this smile where your cheeks bunch up and you show all your teeth and you squint your eyes; it's the cutest thing ever." I explain, my own little grin tugging at the corners of my mouth just talking about it. "But I call it mine, because you only smile like that whenever I tell you something meaningful." Her cheeks bunch up, her lips part to show all her teeth, and wrinkles form at the corners of her eyes as she looks down bashfully. "Just like that." I point out. "But you smiled that smile to Brooke and it kind of hurt because I thought I was the only one that could do that." I find my shoulders slumping in defeat. "I thought it was something special because it was reserved for me only, I guess not."

"Baby, no one else can make me smile like that but you." She says softly. "I only smiled that way because she asked if you really make me happy and just mentioning your name makes me wanna smile like that." I feel a blush creeping up on my cheeks but I can't seem to look away from our interlocked hands. "I was going to come over right after meeting with Brooke to tell you how everything went, I didn't want to tell you I was going to talk things out with her just in case things didn't go well. I didn't want you to be stressing over something you didn't need to. But when I saw you on the ground surrounded by glass, I couldn't help but run to you."

"I'm sorry I pushed you away from me, you were just trying to help."

"It's totally fine for having seen what you saw and not really knowing what was going on." She said and rubbed the pad of her thumb along the back of my hand. "I'm the one that should be sorry; I shouldn't have kept you in the dark for all this."

"You know I don't like the dark, San.."

"Yeah, baby, I know you don't." She says with a little giggle. "I'm not the best when it comes to talking about this type of stuff so I'm really grateful you didn't give up on me, B, it really means a lot to me. I mean, you could've but you didn't." She brings our joined hands to her lips and kisses the my skin leaving it tingling beneath her lips. "Can you ever forgive me? I hate having you mad at me, it's the worse feeling ever." Her eyes are pleading and her lips are pulled into a lopsided grin. How could I not forgive someone who looked so apologetic like she did? Plus, the whole thing was a big misunderstanding! We've both have been stubborn and I'm tired of not spending time with my girlfriend.

"Only if you find me more bread.." I mutter with a grin. "I ran out and if you're going to be feeding the ducks with me, we're going to need more bread."

"Baby, I'll get you all the bread you want." She says happily as I lean over to her then connect our lips in a well waited kiss. Now I feel like things are really going somewhere; one step closer to fully getting rid of Brooke, my girlfriend isn't in love with her ex, and we're about to feed the ducks. Best. Day. Ever.


	29. Chapter 29 One & Only

A/N Well, here's my gift to you! Happy Holidays! ( : Today's my last day off before going back to work for the rest of the week but I'll try to update if I have some down time. I just wanna tell you guys I love all the love this story is getting here & on Tumblr, you guys are fantastically amazing! Let me know!

* * *

CHAPTER 29

_The Next Afternoon;_

"Well someone's back to their happy self!" I hear Kurt say from the door way of the dance studio at Showtimes. I do one last spin then give him a big smile. "So how was the park yesterday, I'm guessing you and Santana talked?" He asked as he strolled in with his arms crossed and sat down on a stool next to the mirrors.

"Yeah, we did. Things are somewhat back to normal again. I mean, she's still very sensitive to my feelings and making sure she doesn't upset me. But the whole thing was a big misunderstanding, Bella was totally right about what happened with Brooke and -" I pause when I see him smirking, and now that I think of it, I don't remember telling anyone where I was going yesterday. I narrow my eyes at him, trying to read him. Something definitely seems off. "Did Santana talk to you about it? I-I didn't tell anyone I went to the park.."

"I guess you still haven't taken my advice yet." He teased and pulled out a rolled up magazine from his back pocket then flattened it out, showing me the front page. "It's crazy what you can read about these days." He laughs then hands me the magazine. I flip through the pages and land on a picture of Santana and Brooke hugging. I cringe at seeing it, but try to remind myself of what she said the hug meant. I look below the image and read the caption:

_Could this be a Brooktana reunion? What happened with the blonde bombshell? Kicked to the curb already?_

"So they still don't know my name?" I asked with a little giggle as I look up to see Kurt with his eyes also glued to the pictures. "They take all these random picture without us knowing, yet they've failed to find out my name?"

"Who knows, Britt, just hope they don't start stalking your house or find out where you work!" I nod to him knowingly and continue to read through what reporters thought happened between Brooke and Santana to have them break up. I'm actually a little relieved that the paparazzi isn't as bad as I thought it would be, like people stalking us or having to fight our way out of restaurants when we go on dates. I usually worry more about the normal people with their camera phones rather than the actual professionals. Then again, maybe _they_ are the professionals. I shrug and go back to flipping through the pages to look at the pictures. I find a couple more of just her when she was leaving her building or when she's filling up her car at the gas station. I frown when I see how drained she looked in the pictures, and though she had sunglasses on in most, I could already assume she had eye bags. I don't want to think about that though and turn the page to see a picture of me on the ground at the diner and Santana smiling down at me. "Oh God, these were great!" He laughed and pointed towards the caption underneath the picture I was already looking at.

_Nope, we found her! Surprise appearance made by the blonde bombshell._

I grinned at the nickname I've been dubbed and land on another picture of Santana kneeling just after I've left. My grin sort of faded once I took in the image. It sort of hurt because she looked so defeated and they way she had her eyes closed shut so tightly made it even worse. I couldn't help but feel a little guilty for making her feel like that. Then again, she had me feeling the same for the past 3 days. Then I read the caption:

_Guess Miss Lopez wasn't expecting to see her there; can't wait to see what happens next!_

"Kurt, what have I said about buying into all those stupid ass gossip magazines?" The two of us jump at the sound of the voice and looked up to see Santana in all her tight blue dress and high heels glory. She had her hand on her hip as she narrowed her eyes on Kurt then pulled away from leaning on the doorway then winked at me. "Hi Chipmunk, these are for you." She said sweetly, totally different from her annoyed tone she used with Kurt, and presented me with a bouquet of daisies. My eyes lit up as she pulled out the flowers from behind her back then looked at me with a big grin and softened eyes. I accepted them gladly and pressed my lips to her cheek.

"Awh thanks, babe, they're so pretty!" I grinned and stared down at the flowers then threw my arms around her neck. I felt her hands trail up my back in the most soothing way that I felt like I was just melting in her hands and we were both going to become a puddle of cuteness.

"Not as pretty as you, but you're welcome." She replied nonchalantly, her breath tickling my neck as I felt her lips on my exposed shoulder. Oh here comes all the warm fuzzy feelings again.

"Oh God, are you two trying to kill me with all the fluff?" Kurt groaned. I almost forgot he was sitting right next to me! I let out a giggle as I began to slide my hands from around Santana's neck.

"Payback for showing my girl all those damn magazines." She laughed as we pulled apart, her hand still resting on the small of my back. She leaned over to snatch the magazine from Kurt's hands and flipped it over to the front cover. "Ugh, at least this was a somewhat decent picture of us.."

"Hey, they didn't take pictures of _you_ tripping over a waitress.." I said, nudging her side with my elbow. She gave me a little eye roll then smirked.

"Yeah, you're right." She shrugged then proceeded to crumple up the magazine. "I'd sue the shit out of their stalker asses."

"Woah-woah, I was still reading that!" Kurt groaned as Santana tossed the balled up magazine to his lap. "Wow, that was rude…" He pouted and looked down at the ball. I felt a little sad at seeing my precious unicorn so hurt.

"Well, why buy this crap when you're friends with the actually people in the magazines who you could just ask instead of reading about them?" She said as she crossed her arms defensively and shrugged.

"That wasn't nice, San." I said and tried my best to give her a reproaching look. I guess it worked because the smirk she had on when looking at Kurt seemed to falter the longer I stared until she sighed in defeat.

"Urgh, okay Britt.." She said shaking her head and pulled out $20. "Here, what was that like $5.99?" She said and handed him the bill. "Go by another one before my girlfriend puts me in time out." I found myself snickering at how fast I changed her behavior. I guess Kurt found it funny too, because he snatched the bill from her hand with a big grin and quickly shot out the door.

"It was actually just $2.99, but thanks!" He laughed over his shoulder. "You're buying me lunch!" Santana and I both stared after him with lips parted and brows furrowed.

"Yeah whatever, I want my change and a receipt!" Santana called as Kurt disappeared then turned back to face me with a smile.

"See, you _can_ be nice." I teased and took a step closer to her so that our bodies were about 2 inches apart. She rolled her eyes with a huff then closed out distance by tugging on my hips.

"Only because I hate seeing you look at me like that.." She said softly. Ever since our talk yesterday, things have been sort of normal. I mean, there's still a little bit of tension there because I get the impression that she feels like she needs to prove something like she's walking on a tight rope and if she messes up she'll loose me. That's the thing though, after all of the things we've been through, I doubt I'd let her just fall like that and let her go so easily. I'll always be around to catch her and I'm not really sure if that's a good or bad thing just yet. But I do like how she's been extra sweet lately, like surprising me with flowers and bringing me ice cream and watching The Princess and the Frog with me last night and all that kind of nice stuff. She's definitely trying to get back on my good side, I mean, she was already on my good side after she explained what happened, but I'll just let her sweat it out a little longer.

"Hey, are you coming back here tonight?" I asked once I shook myself from my thoughts. "I teamed up with Mike for the routine tonight; I think it's going to be so awesome!"

"Hmmm.."

"Oh, if you're busy hugging on Brooke then it's okay." I tried to joke but she just tensed up under my gaze. "Oh sorry, too soon?" I asked and rubbed her arms until her shoulders dropped.

"A little." She said through a nervous laugh. "But yeah, I'll be there."

"Yay!" I cheered. "I think you're going to love it, it's my first collab!" I didn't realize how antsy I was getting until I saw her bring her hand up to cover her mouth or maybe trying to stifle a laugh. "Sorry, I get excited easily.."

"Don't be sorry, babe, it's totally a turn on."

"Oh really now?" I smirked as her eyes flickered from mine to my pink lips. Her hands were already on my waist when she slid them up the back of my shirt; her fingers cool against my warm skin. I found my throat going dry as I watched her eyes darken. How could just the feel of her skin on mine be such an arousing thing to me? Soon our lips crashed together, our tongues circling each others, and the sounds of soft whimpers and hums filling the room. My hands tangled into her dark brown locks as she pulled my waist into hers so that we were touching. Our kisses went from soft and affectionate to heated and needy within minutes. Have I mentioned how much I love making out with Santana? Damn that girl and those nice lips of hers, just unf.

I don't know when or how we even made it there without pulling away from each other's lips or tripping, but somehow we ended up in the dressing room. Santana was sitting on one of the makeup counters with her legs locked around my waist as I leaned into her. I'm guessing I carried her here considering how her ankles were locked around me and her hands were interlaced on my neck. Mine were resting on either sides of her body on the counter, propping myself above her as our lips moved fluidly against each other's. I didn't realize how labored my breathing had gotten, but I did not want to pull away from her just yet. I missed those lips, and though we've kissed ever since making up, they weren't _these_ kind of kisses. These were those kinds of kisses that just stole all the air in my lungs and made my knees turn to jello and got skin on tingling and my stomach doing cartwheels. These were special kisses, each one filled with so much passion and hidden meanings. Why would I want to stop that? I left her swollen lips and laid light kisses along her jaw line until I had made it to her neck. She rolled her head back just a bit, exposing more skin for me to ravish with kisses. She always tasted so sweet, I couldn't really describe it, but I liked it. I felt her nails dragging up and down my back which only sent a new heat wave between my legs. I don't know whether it was me or her, but one of us let out a soft groan. It could've been her when I sucked on her pulse point or maybe it was me when she pushed into my core. All I knew was that it was getting really hot and if I didn't pull away soon, the whole place would know what we were doing in here. You know, because _she's_ such a loud screamer. Not me, I don't scream. At least, not _that_ loud that people from 2 floors below us could hear.

But damn, she felt so good rubbing into my throbbing center like that. It would be quick because I'm practically at the jumping off point already. I just need that extra friction to really get it going. I guess she could tell what I was thinking, because she pulled a hand away from my back and slid it under the front of my shirt, slowly pushing up my abs until she was cupping my left breast. I found myself shuddering at the contact and started to do the same to her when her voice stopped my movements.

"I just wanna make you feel good baby." She husked in the sweetest voice. "Don't worry about me." I nodded hesitantly and allowed her to gain control of our heated kisses. I thought briefly about whether or not our glorious make up sex should be on the counter in a dressing room because it's not all that romantic, but it was quickly forgotten when her left hand made its way into my sweat pants. My breathing hitched when I felt her fingers hit the spot where I needed her most as I dropped my head down on her shoulder. I tried my hardest to continue kissing her, but having her hand sliding along my wetness was making it hard for me to do anything but grind into her. It was getting harder and harder for me to breath let alone keep myself standing, but I knew the reward would be.._orgasmic_.

I felt the coil tightening in my stomach and my walls start to tighten around her the more she pumped into me. My heart was beating so fast that I felt I would just come undone at any second. She whispered sweet words to me as she pressed her lips to my shoulder several times, sucking a little on my skin then laying a last kiss there before moving to a different section. I've never felt so aroused before, I almost didn't want it to end but I was close..like _really _close.

"Ooh, baby don't st-stop.." I groaned, feeling the pressure in my abdomen increasing. "Don't stop, baby, don't st-"

"Kurt, do these shoes mat- AH! WHAT THE HELL?!" I practically jumped in Santana's lap at the voice and looked over to see Rachel standing in the door way of the dressing room with pairs of heels in both hands and her eyes closed tightly.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now, Hobbit?!" Santana snapped as she placed me next to her on the counter instead of me trying to sit on her lap. "Like are you seriously serious?"

"Hey, you're the ones in the dressing room with the door OPEN!" Rachel yelled back with flushed cheeks. "Geez, on _my_ side of the counter too.." She groaned. I looked at her with furrowed brows and looked behind me to see a picture of a gold star taped to the mirror. Whoops?

"Damnit Rachel, couldn't you have knocked or something?" Santana asked with her forehead wrinkled and her jaw clenched but her cheeks super pink. I thought it was kind of funny because I wasn't the only one sort of embarrassed yet still super horny.

"Like I said, the door was left _open_." She said with her hands on her hips. "Plus why do _I_ need to knock? This is _my_ dressing room!"

"You share this room with the other dancers, Rach, don't try to make it sound like you're a big star." The two of them began to bicker while I sat to the side still dying from not getting what I needed.

"Well, now I'm sexually frustrated.." I blurted out causing the two to stop talking and look at me. "What? I am.."

"And whose fault is that?" Santana asked sarcastically as she slowly turned back to face Rachel. "Yours! Now run along so we can finish what we started, unless you want to watch. I here you're into weird shit like that, I mean, you _are _ dating that big oaf that looks like a damn adult baby." Rachel didn't make a move though and I couldn't understand why. If Santana talked to me like that I'd be running for the hills, but Rachel just remained standing with her hands on her hips and smirk beginning to form on her lips. She turned to face me and gave me this weird smirk or something. It was borderline creepy and I felt myself scooting closer to San in hopes that Rachel would look away, but she didn't.

"Brittany, do you remember the only rule Noah gave you?" She asked with a weirdly calm voice. I shook my head 'no' because I really don't remember him saying anything about rules. "He said, and I quote, 'Just no lady sexin' in the dressing rooms' and what did you just do? You broke the ru-"

"Quiet Rachel, Britt's an exception." Santana said with the roll of her eyes.

"She's really not."

"She is my girlfriend and Noah is my best friend, he wouldn't have the fucking balls to fire my girlfriend let alone the reason why this place went from shit hole to a hot spot in less than a month."

"I wouldn't be so sure.." Rachel replied with a little shrug. "I have a very good way with words." The way she had said that scared me. I really didn't want to get fired just because I wanted to get my sweet lady kisses on! I love this job, I don't wanna loose it.

"Saaan, I don't wanna get fired.." I whispered softly, making her reach for my hand and squeeze a little.

"You won't, baby." She replied just as low then directed her gaze on Rachel. "Alright, Dwarf, what do you want?"

"One, for you to stop calling me those mean na-"

"Done. Next?"

"You will sing tonight." I was confident that Rachel wouldn't tell because that was such an easy list of things for Santana to do; she loved singing and she could at least make up nice sounding mean names. I'm sure she's already working a way around that one.

"Absolutely not."

"Wait, what?" I gasped but Rachel was already beginning her little speech.

"Why? Because it's not Thursday and all eyes won't be anticipating your appearance? Head owner of SnixxJuice can't handle sharing the spotlight, huh? Afraid of a little competition?" I watched as Santana huffed and shook her head.

"No." She snapped. "It's because you didn't ask me nicely! It's already hard enough for me to look at you knowing you're the reason why I couldn't my girl Brittz here off and now you wanna test your luck by not asking but _demanding_ me to sing? Fuck no."

"Saaan.." I whined and cuddled into her.

"Fine." Rachel said throwing up one of her arms and sighing. "Will you please sing tonight, Santana?" I looked to Santana who was smiling the biggest of smiles and shrugged.

"I guess I can." She replied smoothly then hopped off the counter, pulling me along with her. "Now if you will excuse us, Dwa-Rachel, we've got some things to finish." She pulled me past Rachel who had her lips parted and her head shaking in disbelief.

"Thanks, Rachel, see you tonight!" I said cheerfully as passed her.

_Later That Night; _

"Quinn!" I yelled from my room. "Can you zip me, please?" I was running all through the house trying to get ready because I might have gotten distracted earlier after Santana had taken me home. I sort of regretted that because now I'm in a hurry and I definitely don't wanna be late tonight for the performance. Especially when I know Santana's going to be singing! I wobbled back into the bathroom to check if my hair was still curly. "Qui-"

"Spin." Quinn said as she entered the bathroom. I did as I was told and spun around so that the zipper was facing her. "Alright, there you go." She said then looked at me through the reflection of the mirror. "Awh, who did your hair? Looks good!" She teased and left to sit on the edge of my bed where Bella was napping. "I'm surprised she's still asleep, you yelled for me like 3 times already." She laughed and moved a stray piece of hair from her daughter's face and tucked it behind her ear.

"Yeah, or she's just super tired from hanging out with Noah today." I shrugged and turned the light off in the bathroom then went to slip on my heels. It was the second time the three of them, including Sam, went out together for more bonding time for Noah and Bella. So far everything's gone perfect so it's safe to say Quinn had nothing to worry about. "Are you ready?" I asked over my shoulder noticing Quinn was just sitting with Bella.

"Uh-huh, Marley should be over in a few and Sam's on his way." She replied quietly. "Do you know what Santana's going to be singing? She better pour her heart out on that stage for upsetting you for so-"

"Quinn.." I warned. "We've talked about this. It was a big misunderstanding; we both did something things to upset each other. Well, she did more than me, but still, I'm not going to hold any grudges so you shouldn't either."

"I guess. All I'm saying is she better get her shit together, that was strike one. Now she's got to work her way back into my good graces, because I'm your best friend and I'm supposed to be mean to people who hurt you." She sighed and scooped up Bella in her arms and carried her out to the couch, leaving me alone in my room. Oh Quinn, always such loving and supportive friend, sometimes. I followed her out to the living room shortly after she left and found that Marley was already here.

"Hey Brittany, good luck tonight!" She said happily and went to give me a hug. "Saw you on the front cover of this one magazine the other day, so cool." I let out a laugh and shook my head.

"Alright, Sam's here let's go." Quinn said as she placed a last kiss on Bella's cheek before grabbing her purse and coat. I followed along till we were outside where Sam was waiting.

_Showtimes;_

"Hey B!" I heard from behind me as I was standing off to the side of the booth I had reserved for Sam and Quinn. I spun around to see Santana in a dark red and black patterned dress with her hair lightly curled. "Well don't you look all dolled up!" She teased and pressed her lips into mine.

"Awh, thanks baby." I replied as she pulled away from the quick kiss. She smiled up at me with a toothy grin and reached for my hand. "We're like twins with both us having curled our hair." I pointed out only making her laugh a little.

"I thought Sam and Quinn were coming?" She said as she looked around didn't see them near.

"Yeah, they went to the bar to get some drinks." I replied, playing with the ring on her middle finger.

"Oh yeah, here they come now."

"Just as a warning, Quinn's still pretty pissed at you so don't push her buttons."

"R-Right, yeah, of course not." Santana stammered causing me to look over to her.

"You nervous, babe?" I teased and nudged her a little with my shoulder.

"Uhm, what? No.."

"Well, you should be." The both of us looked up to see Quinn and Sam walking past us to the booth, not missing the little glare Quinn gave to Santana as she passed. "Hi, Santana."

"Uh, hey Quinn." Santana answered then turned to smile at Sam. "Hey Sam." I wanted to laugh at how nervous Santana was being, but I didn't want to make things any worse for her.

"Come on, let's sit, the show's about to start." I said sweetly, trying to distract her from all the negative thought probably swimming in her mind and pulled her to sit down with me on the other side of the booth. At first the tension is pretty noticeable, I actually think I see it floating around between Quinn and Santana, but I'm sure it's just the lighting or something. Maybe a ghost? No, that's creepy. I'm going with the lighting.

"Sooo.." Sam drawls out as he looks between Santana and Quinn then over to me. "What song will you be singing tonight, Santana?" I look over to my girlfriend with a hopeful smile, but I know by now she never tells the title of the songs she sings before she sings them.

"You'll see." She shrugs attempting to loosen up, but the way Quinn keeps narrowing her eyes at her would have anyone on edge. She reaches for her drink and chugs.

"Easy, San." I whisper, patting her thigh under the table. She takes the cup away from her lips and sets it back down on the table.

"What's wrong, Santana, nervous?" Quinn asks sweetly but it's in that tone where you know she's trying to sound anything but sweet.

"A bit." Santana answers with her body all tensed. I rub again at her thigh hoping she'd ease up a bit and shoot Quinn a glare for being mean again.

"Huh, are we going to see Brooke here again? If so, let me go ahead and-"

"Damnit Quinn, what did we talk about?" I snap making Quinn stare down at her hands shamefully. "Stop instigating and try to be supportive for once! This is an important night for me and I'd like it if you would attempt to get along with my girlfriend." I see Santana looking over at me with a soft smile playing on her lips as she laces our fingers together in her lap.

"Sorry Britt." Quinn apologizes. "I got carried away again.."

"I'm not the only one who needs an apology." I tell her. Quinn looks to Santana but doesn't speak.

"I don't think I could do that just yet, I can't help that I want to make sure she doesn't hurt you again." Quinn looks away from me and turns to Santana. "My threat still stands, you know."

"Quinn!"

"No, it's alright Britt." Santana says putting her hand out to keep me from jumping in and turns to Quinn. "Look Quinn, I get that I've pissed you off for hurting Britt like I did, and believe me I hate myself for making her feel like that too, but you don't have to be all over my fucking ass like this. I get you're just looking out for your best friend and all, but this is our relationship, it can't always be sunshine and rainbows." Santana's not yelling or anything, but it seems to shut Quinn up and gets her to actually listen to what she's saying. I can't help but feel a little proud of Santana for voicing her opinions. "The sooner you get it through your head that I like her and, despite all that side shit caused by my ex, she likes me, the sooner we all can be good friends again. If I have to prove that to you everyday then so fucking be it, but just know that me and Britt are together and whatever mistakes or accomplishments we make, you're going to have to try and be understanding." The two of them stare at each other, Santana probably trying to calm herself down, and Quinn probably trying to let the words sink into her brain. Quinn's lips part like she's about to speak, but the announcer starts to talk over the mic.

"I've just been informed that a special guest is out in the audience tonight and will be performing a song; Miss Rachel Berry will be up soon after." The announcer says with a huge smile and points out to Santana. "Welcome back regular, Santana Lopez!" Santana moves to slide out of the booth and pulls me with her. We both stand and I give her a peck on the cheek and whisper a 'good luck, babe' before walking off to the side of the stage to make sure the dancers are ready and see if Mike's back there. I hear Santana speaking to the audience, but with all the voices in the back of the stage, I can't really make out what she's saying. I hurry through making sure everyone's alright as I make my way to the side of the stage where I can see Santana. The closer I get, the clearer I hear what's going on but I only catch the ending of her sentence as the instrumental of the song starts playing.

"-this is me trying to prove myself." Is all I hear her say before she grips the mic with her right hand and starts to sing. I smile proudly at her and how in control she is when it comes to being on stage.

_You've been on my mind  
I grow fonder every day  
Lose myself in time  
Just thinking of your face_

God only knows  
Why it's taken me so long  
To let my doubts go  
You're the only one that I want

I'm blown away by how much passion she's putting into the words and it's only the first few verses. Her eyes are closed as first as she sings and she smiles down at the floor when she gets to the last line of the first verse. I find myself smiling too, because I know she's got to be thinking of me just like I was thinking of her. But she goes back to furrowing her brow as she pushes out the notes with such feeling. My heart skips a little beat as she turns hear head to look at me when she sings the last line then gives me a little smile before looking back out to the audience.

_I don't know why I'm scared  
I've been here before  
Every feeling, every word  
I've imagined it all  
You'll never know, if you never try  
To forgive your past, and simply be mine_

She shrugs a little as she sings the next lines of the verse, but this time she's looking out at the audience with this pained expression on her face. She's such a damn good performer because just watching her you know that she's singing from experience and she makes you feel it. She makes you feel what she feels and it's so powerful. Her voice carries out the last note of the verse and it sends chills all over my arms.__

I dare you to let me be, your  
Your one and only  
Promise I'm worth it  
To hold in your arms  
So come on  
And give me a chance  
To prove I am the one who can  
Walk that mile  
Until the end starts

This time she stands from her stool and grabs onto the mic stand with both hands as she belts out the notes. She almost growls the words like she's really trying to make a point. I really wish I could see what Quinn's face looked like, because Santana was pretty much calling her out. Sort of. She sings about proving herself to me and hoping that I still keep her close even though she's put me through so many things. The thing is, I can't picture it being any other way. I've done my waiting for her and I'm ready to get back to making memories together for as long as she'll keep me. I hear my name being called behind me and quickly rush over to situate what the dancer has questions about and quickly run back to the side of the stage to finish listening.

_I know it ain't easy  
Giving up your heart  
I know it ain't easy  
Nobody's perfect (Giving up your heart)  
trust me I've learned it (I know it ain't easy)  
Giving up your heart (nobody's perfect)  
I know it ain't easy (trust me I've learned it)_

I come out to see her sitting back down as the three back up vocalists sing along with her. It's eerie but at the same time, it's very beautiful. She's back to closing her eyes and shaking her head down at the floor like she's guilty or something. I stare out proudly until the chorus picks back up again and her glance shoots over to me.

_So I dare you to let me be your  
Your one and only  
I promise I'm worth it_

_To hold in your arms _

She still singing, but she up and moving towards me. I uncross my arms as she comes closer, staring at her with furrowed brows until she reaches for my hand and pulls me out on stage with her. The hot lights instantly cause me to start sweating as I'm being pulled further into the center of the stage; I definitely don't miss being out here when I was a back up dancer. But I can't really focus on how hot the lights are making me or that I'm not standing in from of a full house having to hold myself together with Santana singing her heart out to me. It's like she's begging me the way she sings and looks into my eyes with such desperation.

_So come on  
And give me the chance  
To prove I am the one who can  
Walk that mile  
Until the end starts_

She reaches for my hand and wiggles her fingers in between the spaces then brings our joined hands to her chest. I don't even know what to do with myself because she's stopped looking out to the crowd. She's just staring directly at me, occasionally closing her eyes as she belts out the higher notes. She lets her voice carry over the entire building as she gets to the last line and I doubt that there's not one person who still seated after that. I bet even Quinn is standing or at least Sam made her stand. I keep my focus on Santana though as stares at me with the just the piano playing and I catch a lone tear trickle down her cheek. I brush it away with the pad of my thumb and cup her cheek. She leans into my hand and for a minute, I forget where I am. I get lost in her stormy eyes as she gives me a weak smile. I look at her and for the first time, I think I'm reading what she's feeling. She can't win; it's either Brooke's trying to meddle into her relationship, Quinn hounding her for hurting me, and all her stresses at work. She looks so drained and tired that I just want to hold her in my arms and tuck her into bed and make sure no one can ever question her motives ever again. I brush the pad of my thumb over her cheek bone then bring up my other hand to cup her other cheek. It's like slow motion again and it seems like the whole world disappears, and just for a second it's just me and her. No one to prove anything to, no one to interrupt, and no one to doubt. At that moment, all that matters was me and her, but as I blink, our peaceful little world vanishes and I realize I'm still standing in the middle of the stage with all eyes on us. Then, in front of all the patrons of Showtimes, I kiss her hard. I put everything into that kiss; all my feelings, all the answers to her doubts, all the love I have for her, all my emotions, everything in my whole being goes into that kiss. As I pull back, I smile down at her and whisper only loud enough for her to hear.

"I promise, you're worth it."

* * *

A/N The song was One and Only by Adele. Also, the story will be drawing to a close soon. I'm not sure yet how many more chapters but how would you guys feel about a sequel? I don't know, just a thought..


	30. Chapter 30 The Protector

CHAPTER 30

_Same Night;_

"Damn, Santana, that was awesome!" Sam cheered as Santana and I walked back over to the booth hand in hand. I smiled over at her with the widest of grins and squeeze a little on her hand. "Do you think if I got your autograph I could sell it on ebay?" The two of us laugh at Sam's question as she gets within distance of Sam before allowing him to give her a big bear hug.

"Too tight, Sam.." Santana said through a strained voice as he threw his arms around her torso.

"Hey-hey, don't break her!" I warned as I watched Santana get picked up in his big arms and get swung side to side a little. "I'll be sad.."

"Oh sorry, I guess I don't know my own strength sometimes." He teased. "But yeah, you were really great up there!"

"Thanks, Sam." Santana replied with a grin. I watched as the two laughed heartedly and wondered if Santana and Quinn would ever hug each other like that. I mean, having the two most important people in my life not getting along is complete torture. Maybe someday, after Quinn realizes that she's been a little too hard on Santana, we all can be good friends again. I pull myself out of my deep thoughts when I see Quinn sliding out of the booth and walk over to us. Her movement doesn't go unnoticed as Sam glances over at his girlfriend then back at Santana before coming to stand near me.

"Get ready to jump in." Sam whispers to me as we both anticipate what's to come. I nod then watch as Santana crosses her arms over her chest and cocks her head to the side before rolling it over to the other. I've noticed she only does that when she feels threatened, like a defense mechanic or something. Quinn's a little harder to read though; she's always been like that. Her body language always says one thing but what comes out of her mouth says something totally different. Like right now, she's pursing her lips and narrowing her eyes at Santana. To me, I'd think she's about to let out a long string of things she doesn't like about my girlfriend or how she doesn't deserve me but her hands clasped together says she's guilty. The tension between them is to the point where I can actually feel it radiating off the two. It scares me.

"It seems like I've misjudged you, Santana." Quinn says softly with a shrug as her eyes focus only on Santana's. I watched as Santana stared right back, her body still tensed defensively as Quinn's eyes bore into her. "That little speech you gave before the song," she sighed, "very touching."

"I'm glad you thought so," Santana replied with a strong confident voice, "I was basically talking to you."

"Of course, you never broke eye contact." Quinn replied nonchalantly then there was a short pause. "Something tells me that that wasn't the song you were planning to sing tonight." Santana tilted her head to the side.

"It wasn't."

"Good," Quinn says abruptly then glances over to me then back at Santana. "I don't think any other song could've handled all the emotion you put into it like you did that one. You're a really great performer; I can see why you're in charge of one of the biggest record labels in New York." Sam and I stared at the two with furrowed brows. Quinn's complimenting Santana? What's going on here? Maybe I missed something important when Santana was talking before the song? That could be the reason why Quinn was so calm now, right? Then again, Quinn's always calm, unless she's drunk or it's something with Bella, when she's got something on her mind.

"This is so weird." Sam whispers with his eyes flickering between Santana and Quinn. I look to him and nod. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't expecting there to be some sort of heated argument but so far it's been a very calm conversation. I'm pretty sure I definitely missed something important.

"Tell me something I don't know." Santana replied. It made me smile a bit because it's always a good sign when Santana's sassy side starts showing when she's around Quinn; it means she's not nervous. A tiny smirk tugged at the corners of Quinn's mouth but she resisted the urge and licked her lips instead.

"It's nice to see you have a little feistiness left in you." Quinn said with a glint of mischief in her hazel eyes. "But cockiness is not cute." I let out a sigh of relief; this is where their teasing begins which is an important part of their weird friendship.

"Confidence is key when you're a woman in the music industry, or any industry for that matter." Santana shrugs then glances at me with a little grin. "And Britt seems to like my _cockiness_ just fine, right baby?" I just smile at her and nod, not wanting to distract Santana from this strange conversation taking place. "See, she likes it." Santana says then directs her gaze back on Quinn. The two of them stare at each other until a small grin pulls at Quinn's lips.

"You know, Santana, I really do like you and Britt together." Quinn says, her eyes softening a bit as she speaks. "I think you two are perfect for each other, and don't think just because I'm saying this it means you're off the hook; you're not, at least not yet." I roll my eyes with a playful smile when I hear the words leave her mouth. Always so protective, that Quinn. "But don't think I'm giving you a hard time just because I want to fuck with you or I don't think you deserve Brittany, because I really do think you two deserve each other. You've had a pretty rough time with love and there's no one better to help you understand it again than Brittany." I feel myself blushing at what Quinn says about me, about us, I never knew she felt that way. "And _that_ is why I give you a hard time. She wears her heart on her sleeve and sometimes people take advantage of how caring and loving she is and I can't stand knowing that someone would do that to her."

"I'd never do that.." Santana replied almost instantly.

"I know you wouldn't, at least not on purpose." Quinn replied. "But Brittany is very special to me and having grown up together, we're practically sisters and as her sister I want to make sure no one hurts her."

"But you can't shield her from that, how are we supposed to grow if she doesn't experience a little pain once in a while?" Santana speaks up, her voice low but strong.

"I know and you're definitely no stranger to pain, that's for sure." Quinn shrugs. "After hearing what you said about Britt up there, I know you'd never hurt her intentionally. There's really nothing for me to worry about," Quinn glances over to me again, this time with a crooked grin. "She's in good hands and besides if you ever make her think she's not, you know what's coming." Santana snickers to the floor at the end of Quinn's sentence and shakes her head before looking back up to Quinn.

"And I'm sure you'll remind me of that every day of my life." Santana jokes and I see the smile fully creep up on Quinn's lips.

"You're damn right." Quinn replied with a little laugh then there was a short pause.

"You know, Q, you're a really good sister to Britt." Santana says through a grin. "I wish I had a sister as caring and protective as you." Quinn smiled at the floor bashfully then glances at me with the same grin.

"I try my best." She says and before the conversation can make a u-turn into snarky comments and heated insults, Sam and I both jump in with our arms out stretched.

"Group hug!" I cheer and wrap my arms around both Santana and Quinn while Sam's overlaps mine and gives a little squeeze so that we're all mashed together giggling. "Are we all friends again?" I ask as we pull apart and form a little circle. Santana and Quinn glance at each other briefly.

"I guess you could say that." Quinn answers then stares back to me with a smirk.

"I mean, if that's what you really want." Santana answers with an exact replica of Quinn's smirk. The two look at each other again and laugh.

"Geez, you two are so weird."

_A Few Days Later, The Coffee Shop;_

"Hey Britt, check this out!" I hear Quinn call from the other side of the counter. I glace over my shoulder and see that she's looking down at something. She looks up and motions me over with her hand. I nod and drop the wet towel in the sink then walk over to her.

"What is it?" I ask as I look over her shoulder. "Seriously, Q, you too?!" I groan when I see that she's got a magazine laid out on the counter and all over the page are pictures of Santana and I.

"Hey, I didn't buy this..someone left it on the table!" Quinn argued back with a laugh but kept her eyes on the pages of the magazine. "Ooh, look at this one." She said and flipped the page to point at a blown up picture of Santana and I kissing on stage at Showtimes. "So damn cute, ugh."

"Yeah, be jealous." I teased and bumped her with my hip then read the caption to the side of the picture.

_Sources have said that Blonde Bombshell is actually Brittany Pierce, head choreographer of Showtimes! Miss Lopez sure knows how to pick'em! _

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked Quinn as I underlined the last part of the sentence with my finger. "_Miss Lopez sure knows how to pick'em_? Are they trying to say I'm a jerk like Brooke?"

"Nah, I don't think that's what they meant, Britt. Remember, not everyone knows how Brooke and Santana were behind closed doors."

"Ew, I don't wanna know what they did behind closed doors."

"Uhh, not what I meant," Quinn laughed then turned the page. "I meant that the public doesn't know what really went on in their relationship other than how they acted in public," She adds then looks up at me with a smile. "Besides, I think they're talking about your job.."

"Oh, like she downgraded.." I said quietly. I knew I couldn't compare to a fancy surgeon and now that the media knows about my profession they'll probably make fun of Santana for going for such a chump. Yeah, what a catch I am..

"No, Britt, look." Quinn said and pointed to a picture of me with my arms crossed, leaning against a booth, staring out to the stage as Rachel performed with my dancers behind her. "Read the caption." I followed her finger as she read aloud the line.

_After a brief interview with the owner of Showtimes, Noah Puckerman had this to say about the now named Blonde Bombshell. 'I owe all the success of my business to her [Brittany Pierce] she's a wonderful addition to the place as well as in my best friend's [Santana Lopez] life. She's got so much talent and such a great passion for what she does; I'm surprised she hasn't been choreographing her whole life! She's definitely an asset to the business, I have no idea what would've happened if we didn't stumble upon her.' Sounds like Miss Pierce should be asking for a pay raise!_

"Wow." I gasped with wide eyes. "I can't believe he said all that." I glance over the caption again several times reading it in my head making sure that what Quinn said was actually written.

"Believe it, B." Quinn chimes then closes the magazine and pushes it to the side of the counter. "You still cool with watching Bella tonight?"

"Yeah, totally!" I squeaked and bounced a little on my toes. "I haven't had a Britt/Bella night in forever." I added and went to greet a customer who walked up to the register. "Hi, what can I get for you today?" I asked in my polite voice and smiled. The man was staring up at the menu when I greeted him, but slowly looked to me when I spoke.

"Can I get a-uh-" He muttered before doing a double take. He cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes at me. I did the same and took a little step back just in time to bump Quinn as she walked behind me.

"Oh sorry, Q." I mumbled behind me then reluctantly turned back to the customer. "So wha-"

"You're Brittany Pierce." He gasped with wide eyes. "I'm just-oh my God-_you are_ Brittany Pierce!" I was taken aback a little by him knowing me, but then again, I was wearing a name tag.

"Uhm, yeah..I am?" I replied with a bit of awkwardness in my voice then looked to Quinn who was standing off to the side watching. "So have you decid-"

"You are dating Santana Lopez, I saw you in a magazine, front page!" He cheered with excitement then whipped out his own copy of the magazine Quinn had just been reading. "Would it be weird if I asked for your autograph?" He fished out a pen from his shirt pocket and held it out to me with the magazine in the other hand. I looked from the magazine then to Quinn with a baffled look on my face. She just smirked and crossed her arms over her chest then shrugged. I looked back to the guy who had a hugest of grins and the brightest of eyes. I wondered if this was what my life was going to be like from now on, random people coming up to me for autographs, people taking pictures of us on dates, photographers waiting outside my workplace to bombard me with questions. Am I okay with that? I mean, Santana did say that it wears off after awhile..

"Mm, maybe a little weird but it's totally cool, I'll get used to it." I replied and reached for his pen and magazine.

_Later That Night; _

"Hey Peanut, what do you feel like doing tonight?" I asked after closing the door behind Quinn. "It'll have to be something around the house because it's raining pretty hard out there." I turned to see Bella already jumping on the couch, something she knew her mom would never allow, and walked over to her.

"Can we make cookies?" Bella asked sweetly as she plopped down on the couch and ran over to me. "Chocolate chip peanut butter cookies!"

"Huh, sounds yummy." I answered and picked her up. "Too bad I don't know how to make that.."

"Awhh.." Bella pouted adorably.

"But you know who does?" I asked poking at her belly. She titled her head to the side and shrugged. "Guess."

"Mmmm.." She hummed until her eyes went wide and stared up at me with a wide grin. "Sanny!" She squealed with excitement. "Call her, call her!"

"You got it, dude." I winked and dug out my phone from my back pocket and quickly dialed her number.

"Hey baby, what's up?" Santana's raspy voice rang against my ear. Just hearing the sound had already got my heart rate soaring.

"Hi, you wanna come over?" I ask sweetly. "It's Britt/Bella night, but it can easily be turned into a Brittana/Bella night if you're up for it.."

"Of course!" She chirped. "I'll be over soon."

"Yay!" I cheered along with Bella. "Oh wait, can you pick up some peanut butter cookie dough?"

"She wants chocolate chip peanut butter cookies again?" She asked in a knowing voice.

"Uh-huh." I laughed, "I've got the chocolate chips already from last time."

"Alright, anything else I need to bring?"

"Nope, just your pretty face!" I answered and heard her giggle. "Mmkay, see you in a bit, babe. Oh, be careful, it's raining pretty hard."

"I got it, B, see you in a few." She added then hung up.

"Yay, Sanny's coming over!" Bella cheered and wiggled out from my hold until I set her on the floor again.

"Yeah, so go get in your jammies before she gets here!" I say with my hand on my hip and wag my finger at her. "And this time, no streaking. You're mom will kill me.." Bella giggled then skipped off to her room while I cleaned up the living room a bit.

_20 Minutes Later;_

"Who is it?" I ask in a sing songy voice as I walk over to the front door and twist the knob open to find a drenched Santana.

"Got the goods." She said and held up a plastic grocery bag. I pressed my lips together trying to stifle the laugh as I watched raindrops roll off her sleeves and down the sides of her rain coat to pool around her feet. "You laughin' at me?" She looked like a little wet puppy; she even had the pout to go along with it. "Come here, give me a hug." She teased and brought her arms up to try and envelop me in a soggy hug.

"Awh, you're getting me wet.." I whined as her arms snaked around my waist and her damp hair hit the side of my face as I leaned down to hug her back.

"That's the plan, babycakes." She laughed as she withdrew her arms from around not failing to my cheeks turn all pink. "You're cute when you blush." She winked then pulled me into the living room with her free hand. "Where's the little one?"

"Sanny!" Bella squealed then ran around the corner in her pink panther pajamas that she loved so much. She ran straight to Santana with her arms outstretched. "Why do you look like you went swimmin' with all your clothes on?"

"Hey little B! Nice PJs!" She greeted and scooped the girl in her arms then planted a kiss on her forehead. "And because it's raining cats and dogs out there!" She takes a quick look to me already knowing that my mind was going somewhere else. "Not real cats and dogs, B." I smile and nod knowingly as she turns to look at Bella. "You ready to bake some cookies?" I smiled at the pair and slipped in to take the grocery bag from Santana and set it down on the kitchen counter.

"Uh-huh!" Bella cheered with bright eyes.

"Alright, kiddo, let's do this!" Santana replied with almost the same amount of excitement as Bella and joined me in the kitchen.

"Oh, take your jacket off." I say to Santana as I set my hands on her back. "You wanna borrow some dry clothes before we get going?"

"That'd be nice, I'm kinda getting cold." She answers as she shrugs off her coat.

"Alright, come with me." I say and reach for her hand. "We'll be right back, Bella." I pull Santana into my bedroom and close the door then turn to my closet. "A hoodie and yoga pants okay?" I ask as I pull the outfit from it's place on the self then turn to Santana and almost drop everything in my hands.

"After all this time, you still get all shocked when you see me in my bra and panties?" Santana asked with a glint of lust in her eyes. I swallow thickly and try to keep my eyes on anything but her boobs and toned stomach and perfect ass and-

"J-Just put these on before I push you into the wall and kiss the air out of your lungs." I whine and practically throw the clothes at her. She takes them with a giggle and quickly wiggles into them.

"Better?" She asked with her arms out and a smirk on her lips. It was adorable how my hoodie didn't quite fit her and the sleeves bunched at her elbows. I couldn't resist and held out my hands for her to take then pulled her to me. Her hands slid up to my forearms as I leaned down and captured her lips between mine. It was quick but ever since the one on stage, all of our kisses felt different. A good different though.

"Better." I replied against her lips then reluctantly pulled away. "How about you? Warming up?" I asked and rubbed her arms with my hands. She nodded with a smile.

"With you, always." She said sweetly then went to open the door. "Come on, before I can't control myself." The two of us laughed then made our way back to the kitchen.

"Mmkay, what's first?" I asked with my hands on my hips and stare down at the cookie dough package. Santana pats Bella on the head before standing next to me.

"Preheat the oven to 350 then we can add the chocolate chips to the cookie dough." She shrugs then turns her head to look up at me. "Easy stuff." She winks then rolls up on the tips of her toes to peck me on the cheek.

"I'll get the chocolate chips, you can do the oven.." I answer and walk towards the pantry closet. "Oh Bells, here, put your apron on." I say when I see the little white garment with tiny pictures of cupcakes all over it. She runs over to me and pulls her blonde hair to the side so that I can tie the strings around her neck and then spins so that I can tie the other strings around her back. "Good to go, go see if San needs help." She smiles then runs back over to Santana who then sits her up on the kitchen counter. I watch as they laugh at whatever they're talking about and how San looks so genuinely happy. Geez, she is always so cute with Bella. I bet she'd spoil the crap out of our-I mean her-kids. I bet she'd spoil the crap out of _her_ kids. I shake my head at the slip up and reach for the chocolate chips.

"Alright, got'em!" I say and wiggle the bag in my hand as the two look over at me.

"Great! Now we just gotta stick'em in the dough and we can put it in the oven." Santana says as she cuts off pieces of dough and sets them out on the baking sheet. I hand Bella a cup of chocolate chips and let her poke them into the dough as Santana cuts off more pieces.

"Good job, Bells, these are going to be really chocolately." I praise after she had pressed chocolate chips into most of the cookies. San picked up the now fully baking sheet and slipped it into the preheated oven.

"I know, I love chocolate!" Bella answered then popped in the extra chocolate chips into her mouth.

"Who doesn't!" I laughed then tossed one up in the air and caught it in my mouth. "One for you?" I asked sweetly and brought one to San's lips, but just as she parted them I popped it into my mouth.

"You're such a tease." San groaned playfully and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Awh, here, one for you." I said again and inched in with another chocolate chip between my fingers. She stared deeply in my eyes then parted her lips again, but just as I was about to slip it into her mouth, I popped it into mine.

"Britt!" She laughed and nudged me with her hip. "Quit being mean!" I laughed along with her and nodded.

"Alright-alright, foreal this time." I said and picked up another chocolate chip and slowly inched toward her for a third time. She stared at me with narrowed eyes until I got close enough to her pouty lips. "Open up!" I tease and watched as she snickers then wraps her lips around the tips of my fingers. She stared up at me through her thick eyelashes then runs her tongue along my fingers before letting them go with a pop.

"Love chocolate." She purrs then turns to Bella leaving me with my jaw dropped and my fingers still hanging in the air, the tips still warm and tingly from being in Santana's mouth. I quickly shake the naughty thoughts as I remember there's a 5 year old sitting just a foot away from you who probably wouldn't appreciate me taking Santana on the kitchen counter. I'd probably scare the little girl for life, so I better not.

"Well, we got 15 minutes till they're done." I announce as I glance over to the timer Santana had set then back to Bella. "What do you wanna do?"

"Mm, can we watch Princess and the Frog?" She asks with puppy dog eyes and a pout.

"Though we've watched that like a billion times," I start looking over at Santana who was present during most of those times but just shrugs, "with a face like that, how could I possibly say no?"

"Yay!" She squeals the pads off to the living room to fish out the DVD.

"Good job, I thought you said you finally learned away to fight the pout." Santana teased as she smirked at me with her eyes all squinted.

"I don't know, she's just too good.." I sighed and rested my head on her shoulder. With the height difference, it always felt funny to do that, but I still liked doing it because she'd always- Yup, she just did- she always sneaks her arm around my hips and tugs me closer.

"Britty, I can't reach it!" I hear Bella call from the living room. I reluctantly pull away from San who just ends up following me and walk over to Bella. I walk past the windows a listen to how hard it's raining. At least it hasn't started thund-

"AHHH!" Bella and I scream in unison just as a loud crack of thunder shakes the room. Santana just rubs at both of our backs calmingly until we both ease up.

"Uh-It's right there, Britty, next to Lady and the Tramp." She says shakily as she points her little finger at the movie on the third shelf.

"Yup, I see it." I say in the same sounding tone of voice and reach for the movie. "Here you go, Peanut." I hand her the DVD then sit down on the couch next to San while Bella turns on the movie. I nestle into her side as she drapes her arm around my shoulders.

"So, how was your day?" She asked instantly reminding me of that guy who knew who I was when I was working at The Coffee Shop earlier.

"Oh, the norm." I sigh and lay my hand on her thigh and trace patterns against her with my fingers. "Randoms asking for my autograph." I shrug earning a smirk from Santana. "Did you know Brittany Pierce, most awesomest choreographer ever, is dating the owner of SnixxJuice?"

"No..really?" Santana gasps dramatically.

"Yeah, crazy right?" I tease and lean into whisper in her ear. "I hear she's a screamer.."

"Brittany?"

"Uh-uh, Santana.."

"Uh-huh, yeah, that's super crazy.." She winks then leans in for a quick kiss before Bella's up and joining us on the couch. She wiggles in between the space, or lack thereof, between Santana and I then sets her elbows on her knees. "Someone looks ready.." Santana teases as she ruffles the little one's blonde hair. "I'm gunna check on the cookies, I think they're just about done." She says as she gets up and steps over my legs. I nod and wrap an arm around Bella as she snuggles into my side.

A few minutes later San rejoins us at the couch with a plate of cookies. "Here we are." She chimes and hands a warm cookie to Bella and I before reaching for her own. Just then another loud crack of thunder shakes the room causing Bella and I to tense up and squeal. "It's just thunder, guys, it won't hurt you.." Santana says soothingly then reaches for the remote. "Let's watch, it'll distract you.." She teases and hits play.

It's nice at first, eating fresh baked cookies and watching some animated movie with my girlfriend and favorite toddler in the whole world, that is until the power cuts off.

"Britty, I'm scared!" Bella cried as I felt her cling to me. Darkness, not something I'm the most comfortable with. But I had to be strong for Bella, I couldn't let her see that I was scared too. "I don't like the dark, Britty, there's monsters in the dark." I gulped because I always thought the same thing. I brushed my fingers through Bella's hair trying to calm her but most importantly trying to calm myself.

"It's okay, Bella, I won't let any monsters get to you." Santana said confidently as she pulled out her phone and illuminated the area around us. She patted Bella's leg then looked over at me. "And I won't let any get to you either, babe." She said sweetly and leaned over Bella's head to press her lips into mine. "How about we watch the rest of the movie on my phone, huh? There's not much to do when the power's out anyway besides sleeping.." I smiled over at Santana though I doubt she could see it with all the lights off. I know it's childish of me to me afraid of the dark and maybe a little bit of thunderstorms, but I'm glad Santana was here with us tonight, who knows what would've happened if she hadn't been here! Bella and I probably would've called Quinn to come home early. "Lay back, B." She instructed so that I had myself propped up on the arm of the couch with Santana tucked in my side and Bella lying somewhat on top of both of us. San kept her arms around Bella as she played the movie making sure she'd hold her close at each sound of thunder as well as kissed my cheek making sure that I stayed calm as well.

At some point, Bella fell asleep, probably because the thundering wasn't as loud anymore. The power still wasn't on yet, so we relied on our phone's as flashlights. "Let's put her to bed." I said as I slowly wrapped my arms around the sleeping toddler and went to stand up. Santana stood too and made sure she kept her hand on my waist the whole way to Bella's room. I laid the girl down in her bed and pulled the covers up to her chin before kissing her forehead and whispering goodnight.

"You're so good with her." Santana whispered as we walked to the opposite direction to my bedroom. "You're going to be a really good mom one day." My mind breiefly returned to the thoughts I had earlier in the kitchen when I was watching how she interacted with Bella and how I thought the same exact thing, but I shook the thoughts away and just thanked her. We've only been together for a little over 4 months, I don't wanna freak her out about talking about babies. The both of us slip under the blankets and snuggle into each other's embraces. I loved ending a day like this, falling asleep in her arms, her scent filling my nose as I fell asleep, her voice being the last thing I hear before drifting off, her touch warming me throughout the night, and most importantly, knowing she'd still be there in the morning. That was the second best thing about Santana staying over, I was guaranteed the most beautiful sight as soon as my eyes popped open the next morning. I found myself smiling goofily at the thoughts, thankful that the darkness was actually on my side this time.

"Yeah, you'd make a great mom one day too babe." I mumbled as I felt the sleepiness overtake me, the goofy smile still on my lips as she nuzzled into the crook of my neck.

* * *

A/N Not all that much happening this chapter, but who doesn't love fluff? I love that you all support the idea of a sequel, anything in particular you guys would like to see? I might start drafting the overall plot sometime soon. Santana's family will definitely be addressed.. Thanks for the love, let me know! ( :


	31. Chapter 31 Persistent Bastards

A/N HAPPY NEW YEAR'S, EVERYONE! I'm posting this early just in case I run out of time later on tonight. I'm thinking there's about 2 more chapters after this one before I go on a little break to finish Workin' Girls and plan out the sequel for this story. Anyways, let me know! ( :

* * *

CHAPTER 31

_One Week Later;_

"Brittany!"

"Brittany, look this way!"

"How does it feel to be dating one of the hottest women in New York?"

"Ever think of searching for a better choreographer gig?"

"Brittany, you look very pretty today!"

"Brittan-"

I give the, as Santana likes to call them, _persistent bastards_ one last wave and smile before closing the door behind me as I walk into Showtimes. She definitely wasn't lying when she said it'd get worse before it gets better. This is the third day that they've been posted up outside or following me on my way to Showtimes! Thank God they haven't found out where my other job is, but I doubt it'll be kept a secret for long. You know, word travels fast when you're dating someone as smokin' hot as Santana.

"Hey Britt, how was the walk today?" Kurt's cheery voice rang out as I entered the studio. He was sitting cross legged on a stool near the counters with a magazine in his hands and a tight lipped grin on his face. I was just about to tell him that it wasn't as bad as it was yesterday when my eyes fell on what he had been reading. "Oh, oh-no don't worry it's just Vogue." He stammered when he noticed what I had been staring at then held up the magazine to show the cover. I didn't realize I had my shoulders tensed until I felt them drop at the sight.

"Oh good," I sighed then dropped my duffle bag off to the side of the room and leaned on the counter next to him. "And they were nice today, as always I guess, one guy even offered to carry my bag for me but I was scared that he might take off with it and sell my knee highs on ebay or something." I shrugged then lowered to the floor to start my stretching.

"Huh, good thinking!" He laughed then set the magazine on the counter. "So, Rachel told me what happened.." I slowly looked up at him to find him smirking.

"Oh man, did she?" I whined then pouted at the floor. "It was an accident, I swear! I mean, how was I supposed to know that her Vegan crap wasn't _actual_ crap? I told her I'd pay her back for throwing her 'lunch' away." I looked back up when I heard him try to stifle a laugh. "You weren't talking about that, were you?"

"Nope, but that was equally funny." He teased then crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "I was talking about what she caught you and Sant-"

"Ohhh, that.." I laughed innocently. "Yeah, that was super awkward and San was super pissed but all the pent up frustration was put to good use afterwards when we-"

"Yeah, okay! I got it!" Kurt said abruptly while throwing his hands up in the air. "No need to say more.."

"Hey, _you_ brought it up." I shrugged and went back to stretching.

"So, besides your amazing sexcapades, what else has been going on with you two?" He asked as he stared down at me with a smile. "You tell her you love her yet?"

"Kurt!" I groaned with my eyes shut then tilted my head up and slowly opened them again. "That's not a part of our 'going slow' agreement, besides, I'm waiting for the right moment.."

"Geez, it's been like what five months?"

"Four," I correct with a smile. "Four months, three weeks, five days."

"Awh, that's cute." He cooed with an exaggerated sigh. "You know the hours too?"

"Mm, six hours in ten minutes." I said glancing over at the clock on the wall.

"Oh wow, seriously?"

"Nahh, that's weird." I teased and went to stretch out my arms. "But anyway, I am supposed to go out with Santana tonight for dinner with Brooke."

"Why on Earth would you want to do that?" Kurt huffed. "Brooke is awful."

"Yeah, I agree." I shrugged and pulled my knees to my chest. "But San said that we should talk things out like adults or whatever, which I'm totally cool with as long as Brooke doesn't investigate me."

"Instigate, Britt, not investigate."

"Ha, did I say that?" I giggled with my cheeks all bunched up. "Well, you know what I mean. If she wants to cause trouble then I don't want anything to do with her, but San says if it gets that way we'll just leave."

"This really doesn't sound like a good idea to me, Britt." Kurt replied hesitantly. "Santana's really making you do this?"

"She can't _make_ me do anything, unless we're in bed, then she can make me do _a lot _of things, but I know this is something that'll give her a bit of closure so I'll totally go along with it." Kurt didn't say anything for a couple minutes; I guess just taking it all in, before he finally smiled.

"Well, good luck!" Kurt said happily then hopped off the stool. "If you need someone to talk to or whatever, you know where to find me."

"Of course!" I answered and watched as he shuffled off to the dressing rooms where I could already hear Rachel warming up.

_Two Hours Later, Bella's Elementary School;_

The sun was finally shining brightly after all the rain we've had for the past week. I was definitely grateful for not having to deal with the thunderstorms; Santana had to sleepover two nights in a row just because the storms were so bad and I was afraid that the power would go out again and I'd be alone. She didn't mind though, she loved sleeping over just as much as I loved her sleeping over. It was pretty much a win win situation so no complaints. It was nice though to finally not have to wear heavy coats, though I love jackets, I've missed my shorts and tank tops.

"I can't believe it's almost June!" I squeaked as Santana and I stood in the shade of a tree at the edge of Bella's school, waiting for her to come running towards us. "Soon it'll be warm enough to go to the beach!"

"I know, I'm _so_ done with the cold weather." She replied with deep sigh. "Then again, the heat does fuck up my hair.." I tilted my head to her and smiled.

"Well, you'd still look pretty either way."

"Even if my hair is all frizzy?"

"Even if you had a mane like Mufasa, you'd still be the hottest girl in the world." I said confidently and leaned over for a chaste kiss.

"You're going to give me cavities from being so damn sweet all the time." She cooed and sent me a wink as I pulled away.

"That was corny." I teased with a laugh and bumped her with my hip. "Can't wait to see you in a swim suit.."

"You've seen me naked, babe, I doubt it gets any better than that." She replied with her signature smirk. All I had time to do was give her a smug grin before Bella came running towards us with a big smile on her face and her arms out stretched.

"Britty! Sanny!" Bella cheered as she drew near, the smile on her face growing the closer she got. Santana and I glanced at each other with a knowing look; Bella was always so thrilled when we'd surprise her by picking her up from school. I bent over a tad with my arms out ready to catch her just as she made her jump.

"Hey Peanut!" I greeted when I had her in my arms and gave her a hug. I tilted her towards Santana so that San could give Bella her usual kiss on the top of her head then set her back to the ground.

"How was school, little one?" Santana asked as Bella hooked her fingers into both of our hands. "Draw anymore pictures?" Bella's face lit up with excitement at Santana remembering that she drew and began nodding furiously.

"So many pictures, Sanny, I'll show you them when we get home!" Bella answered happily as we began our walk home.

"Okay, great!" Santana answered enthusiastically. "You better remember me when you're a famous artist one day." Bella just laughed at Santana's request then nodded.

The streets were a little more crowded for some reason, probably because school just let out, but Bella knew to stay close so we wouldn't get separated. I hated big crowds like these; they always scared me since my biggest worry was getting lost in the crowd. Just as we were nearing a crosswalk, a bright flash blinded me. I brought up the heel of my palm and rubbed at my right eye while Bella still clung to my left hand.

"Miss Lopez! Brittany! Over here!" Someone yelled before there was another flash.

"Who's the little one?" Another asked, "She yours?" Flash.

"You're looking incredible today, Santana!" Flash.

"How do you feel about being the hottest lesbian couple in New York?" Flash.

"Look this way, please!" Flash.

"Any thoughts on a Brooktana versus Santitany reality show?" Flash.

"Hey, sweetie, what's your name?" Flash.

"Don't talk back, little one, just ignore them." Santana instructed but I doubt Bella was paying any attention being that all these random people were trying to talk to her or take her picture. It was just too much for a five year old to handle.

"Britty, I-I don't like this!" Bella panicked and tugged at my hand. I felt bad for the girl; no one has ever ambushed us like this when we've picked Bella up from school. I didn't really know what to do. When it was just Santana and I, we'd just keep our heads low and walk fast or jump into a fancy restaurant, but with Bella, I don't know, it seemed different. I know she must feel extremely overwhelmed because even I'm feeling a little smothered. I looked to San with furrowed brows then down at Bella, her eyes beginning to water.

"I know, baby, come here." I cooed and went to pick her up when a couple photographers stumbled over each other, creating like a domino effect, making me stumble too. Soon everyone's pushing and shoving each other, but all I do is try to stay as close as I can to Santana while holding on tight to Bella in my arms.

"Brittany, I'm so sorry!" One says. Flash.

"Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?" Flash.

"Sorry!" Flash.

I feel hands brushing against my arms and the soft whimpers of Bella crying as I try to shield her from all the chaos. Everyone's frantic and it's starting to get a little scary as we begin to lose control of the crowd. I don't want anything bad to happen to Bella, so I just press her head to my shoulder and hold her close while San tried to push past all the photographers.

"Back the fuck off, asshole, don't you see you're scaring her!" Santana snaps on one of the guys who's got his camera practically in my face then shoves him away from me then turns to another with a fiery gaze."If you want to keep your lousy job of stalking people's lives, I suggest you keep your grubby ass fingers off of my girlfriend unless you would like to lose all ten of them!" She growls, pointing her finger at his chest until he backs off. She slides her hand around my waist then tugs at my hip bone protectively as we both start walking again, this time only two photographers follow but they keep their distance.

"Sorry Bella, I didn't mean to say bad words.." Santana says apologetically to the little blonde who's positioned between us but keeps her gaze ahead of us.

"It's okay, Sanny, they were being mean." Bella answers meekly against my shoulder as her little arms cling to my neck. Santana stays quiet the rest of the walk, but still holds tight to my waist as I try to calm Bella down. We make the walk upstairs and thankfully Quinn isn't home, she'd probably freak out like she always does when Bella cries.

"Hey, Peanut, want a banana split?" I ask softly as I set her down on the couch and brush through her blonde hair with my fingers. Her eyes are a little red from crying, but she's calmed down a lot since what happened.

"Uh-huh.." She mumbles then slumps over to her side and nuzzles into the couch pillows. I bite my bottom lip at the sight and move to turn on the tv before going to the kitchen. I glance at Santana who's leaning on the kitchen counter, furiously tapping at her phone with her jaw locked.

"Hey." I say quietly and run my fingers along her exposed forearm. She looks up at me with stormy eyes. "It's o-"

"God Britt, I feel so bad, I can't believe I let them get to Bella like that, I can't believe I-"

"Hey-Hey, shh.." I coo when I start to see her eyes watering up. I wrap an arm around her shoulders and rub at her back calmingly. "That wasn't your fault, baby. You did good, you got them to go away.." I said softly, hoping that I could calm her down a little. She nuzzled into the crook of my neck; her soft breathes tickling my skin as she began to mumble.

"But what if next time they don't go away? What if they try to hurt you or me or even Bella or Quinn when we're all out together? What will I do then?" She rambles. "God, if anything bad ever happened to you, damnit, I-I don't even know!" She said and I could hear the anger in her voice. It only made me hold her closer.

"I know, baby, I know." I replied while continuing to rub patterns on her back. There was a long pause where I just held her there listening as her breathing evened out. "We can talk about it later.."

"Those people are such fucking jerks..I hate paparazzi."

"Yeah, well, that's what happens when you're famous." I smiled as she pulled her head back to look up at me. She was smirking with a tiny glint of happiness in her eyes. "Want me to make you a banana split too?"

"As long as you share it with me, then sure!" She said sweetly then kissed my cheek. "I'll go sit with Bella, see if she's not too shaken up still." I nod and make my way to the kitchen.

About ten minutes later, I bring over two big bowls and take a seat between the two as I hand a bowl to Bella and one to Santana. I drape and arm around Bella as she dips her spoon into her ice cream and takes a big bite while I lean over to Santana's bowl as she spoons some into my mouth.

"Oh yeah, I'd say I'm the number one nana'split maker in the whole world." I say jokingly as I swallow then watch the two take another bite. "Am I right or am I right?" I looked to Bella but she didn't answer, she just hid her little face in her bowl of ice cream. It broke my heart seeing Bella so upset still. I pouted then turned to Santana who just smiled.

"Whatever you say, babe." Santana laughs then directs a spoonful to me. "Open up!" She says with a smile. I was just about to part my lips when she mashed the ice cream onto my nose.

"San!" I squealed then turned to Bella. "Hey Peanut, is there something on my face? Sanny keeps laughing at me.." Bella slowly tilted her head up to look at me then a tiny smirk spread across her face. "There is, isn't there?"

"I don't see anything, right Bella?" San cut in and leaned forward so that she could look at Bella. I turned to her then back to Bella.

"Nope, nothin." Bella squeaked through a tight lipped grin. "Maybe it's just your imagination.."

"Siding with the enemy again I see." I laughed through narrowed eyes then grabbed for San's spoon and swiftly splattered some on her cheek.

"Britt!"

"What?" I feigned innocence, "It's just your _imagination_, baby." Bella let out a string of giggles as Santana and I began running around the living room, throwing ice cream at each other. "And what are you laughing at, kid?" I ask with a devilish smirk from the other side of the coffee table.

"You guys are silly." Bella snickered then spooned more ice cream in her mouth.

"Britt, it seems to me that she's a little too clean.." San said as she reached for the ice cream bowl we shared. "Don't you agree?" Bella's eyes went wide as we both stared at the little blonde with dark eyes.

"Nooooo!" Bella squealed and tried to run, but I cornered her.

"Spoon, babe!" I called and held out my hand while the other tickled Bella's sides.

"Here you go." Santana laughed as she handed me a spoonful of ice cream.

"No Britt, Sanny help!" Bella giggled and tried to squirm out of my hold while I hovered over her cheek with the spoon.

"Nope, she's on my side n-" My sentence was cut short when I felt cold ice cream smeared on my cheek. "Hey," I shrieked and looked up to see Santana holding a spoon in one hand and the other covering her mouth.

"Oops.." She winked, distracting me long enough for Bella to escape my hold.

"Traitor!" I yelled as the two began chasing me around the living room, both wielding bowls of ice cream.

"And you thought I'd leave Bella's side for you, ha!" San teased as she hopped over the coffee table and _almost_ splattered me with ice cream.

"Sanny is on my side forever!" Bella laughed and followed behind Santana as I tried to dodge them both. Well, my plan was successful. Get Bella smiling and laughing again at all costs, even if that cost being chased around covered in melted ice cream.

"And to think I thought we had something special!" I joked as I pointed to Santana who was getting another spoonful ready. She laughed then took her eyes off me for just a second. I took the moment to capture her in a tight hug. "What are you gunna do now, huh?" I ask darkly as she dropped the nearly empty bowl to the floor and stared at me with a smirk.

"Uh, what the hell is going on here?" Quinn asked as she entered the kitchen with grocery bags in her arms. "And why is my child standing on the kitchen counter?"

"Huh?" I mumble and look to the side of Santana where I had her pressed into the counter to find Bella somehow climbed on to the table and was holding her bowl of ice cream with her eyes wide.

"That better be vanilla ice cream all over your faces or else you two are never babysitting Bella again!" Quinn laughed as she threw the grocery bags onto the counter. "Bella, get down." She said to her daughter as she held out her hands and slipped them under Bella's arms to carry her down. Santana began laughing as she watched Quinn whip her now ice cream covered hand on the side of her dress. "God, go clean up and take Bella with you.." Quinn groaned as she started putting the groceries away. I smiled down at Santana, taking in how adorable she looked even covered in melted ice cream, and pressed my lips into hers tasting a mixture of vanilla and chocolate. "On second thought, don't take Bella with you; I don't want you two scarring my child for life." Quinn laughed as she called for Bella and dragged her to the bathroom.

"Come on, traitor, let's get cleaned up." I winked and pulled her behind me and made our way to my bathroom.

Once behind the closed door of my bathroom, our lips finally crashed together as hands roamed each other's bodies. I hooked my hands under her thighs and pushed her up on the counter as her hands snuck their way under my shirt and began caressing my skin. Our tongues danced, mixtures of vanilla and chocolate coating our taste buds.

"Shower?"I asked in between heated kisses as she locked her ankles around my waist.

"Mhm." She mumbled and curled her fingers under the hem of my shirt and tugged it off. After she pulled the garment over my head, I reached for her buttons on her shirt as she kept deepening her kisses. The deeper she kissed, the harder it got for me to concentrate on unbuttoning her shirt.

"Whatever." I groaned and ripped the shirt open and slid her out of it.

"Shorts, off." She husked and dived in for my zipper. I wiggled out of them along with my soaked panties and crashed our lips together again. My hands found her sides and hooked my fingers into the loops over her own shorts. "I got it, go turn the water on." She growled with a devilish smirk as she pushed me off a little. I nodded and skipped over to the shower and turned the knobs.

When I turned around, I was faced with a completely naked Latina. I swallowed thickly, sensing how dry my mouth had gotten at the sight, and waited for her to close the distance again. Her hands slid up my back along the vertebrae of my spin until she was unclasping my bra. I dropped my hands where they had been resting on her shoulders so that the straps could fall off easily.

"Ready?" I mumbled against her lips as I slid the shower door open and began to back into the water, pulling her along with me. The water felt good against the back of my head and my shoulders the further we inched in until we were both standing under the stream. I brought my hands up to the sides of her face as her hair started dampening. "God, you're so beautiful." I cooed and watched as a bashful smile spread across her lips. Her hands ran down the contours of my stomach until she pressed her body into mine and took my bottom lip between hers.

"You're gorgeous." She mumbled against my lips as her hands rubbed up my sides under the stream of water. I smiled into the next kiss and wrapped my arms around her waist. "You know what?"

"Huh?" I mumbled as her hands began massaging at my breasts. She was so gentle and it made my knees buckle, thank God she had me pinned against the wall again.

"I-I've never done it in the shower before."

"Oh really, now?" I smirked as she pulled back to look at me. "Well, babe, there's a first for everything." I winked and switched positions so that I had her up against the wall this time. She giggled as I began littering her neck with butterfly kisses. I worked my mouth lower and lower until my tongue found her taunt nipple.

"Mm, Britt.." She moaned as my hands worked at massaging her breasts while I attempted to give an equal amount of attention with my mouth. I pressed my stomach into hers as I dropped a hand to cup her smooth mound. She inhaled quickly as she dropped her head on my shoulder.

"You're gunna like this a lot," I husked as my fingers started sliding along her wet folds. "Shower sex is the best kind of sex; I'm a little shocked you've never done it." She mumbled something against my shoulder that I couldn't really understand, but I guess it was a good thing because she started bucking her hips into my hand. "Someone's excited." I teased as I started circling her clit with my thumb.

"I fucking love your fingers, baby, mm!" She groaned as her lips connected to the skin on my shoulder. "So fucking good, _ohhh!_" She whined as I entered her with my middle finger.

"You're so tight, San." I mumbled as I slowly began pumping in and out of her while still rubbing at her nub with my thumb. I already felt her walls tightening around my fingers so I started to slow my pace, wanting to drag out how sexy she looked in her pre orgasmic state.

"So cl-close, babe, _fuck_!" She moaned and began rocking into me as she clung desperately to my shoulders.

"I wanna taste you, San." I husked as I started kissing down her neck, between her boobs, and down her stomach, but just as I got to her waist, she cupped my chin and made me look up at her.

"N-Not yet, fingers," She sighed through gasps of air, "J-Just use your fingers." She had her eyes closed so she couldn't see that I was pouting, but if she wasn't ready for me to go down on her then I guess that's okay. I know when no means no.

"Okay, babe." I answered and stood back up and wrapped and arm around her waist and thrusted two fingers in her as she began riding my hand. The sight was about the hottest thing I'd ever seen; her body trembling beneath mine, her tanned skin glistening as droplets of what rolled off her, her swollen lips, the way her chest rose and fell, how sexy she looked with her eyes shut and the way she fisted into my hair the closer she got until-

"_Oh fuck!_" She whined as her body writhed beneath mine. I slowed my hand until she came down from her high then wrapped both my arms around her waist.

"I got you." I cooed as her body continued to tremble in pleasure, her breathing still a little labored.

"God, Britt, I'm pretty sure that's made the top ten list of our most sexy sexy times." She laughed a little out of breath as she pressed her lips along my neck.

"Told you shower sex is the best." I winked and brushed some of the hair from her face. I dropped my arms from around her and reached for a bottle of shampoo.

"Oh no, you're next babe." She smirked as she plucked the bottle out from my hands and set it back on the shelf as she swiftly switched positions again.

_30 Minutes Later; _

"Damn, took you two long enough!" Quinn teased as she presented a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich in front of Bella as Santana and I walked out of my room with wet hair and a new set of clothes. "What were yall doing in there, playing Uno?"

"Actually-" I began to speak up when Santana covered my mouth with her hand.

"That's _exactly _what we were doing." Santana answered with a smirk and withdrew her hand from my lips went I licked her. "The hell? Did you just lick me?" She laughed and wiped her hand on my arm.

"Oh, don't act like you don't like it." I teased quietly as we walked closer to Bella and took the seats next to her. Quinn spun around and presented me with a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich as well, my eyes lighting up at the sight. "Yum!"

"Hey, why don't I get a sandwich?" San gasped but Quinn just sent her a playful glare.

"I ain't your personal chef, Lopez, share with Britt." Quinn teased as she nodded over to me. I looked over to San and offered her a bite.

"That's okay, babe, I'm not really that hungry." San replied sweetly.

"So what's this I hear about you dragging Britt out to dinner with Brook tonight?" Quinn asks as she props herself up on the kitchen counter and rests her chin in her hands. I shot Quinn a warning glare but she just nods knowingly. "Don't worry, I'm just asking as a friend. I'm not going to lecture her or anything."

"Good." I mumble between bites.

"Uh, well, she just wants to apologize to Britt and what not." Santana shrugs awkwardly. "It'll be a short dinner.."

"Well, count me and Bella in on walking you two there." Quinn nods with a smirk. "We're heading past Breadstix anyway to visit Sam, plus I want to remind her one last time if she tries anything stupid I'll smack her down like the hand of God." Quinn laughs while I just shake my head.

"That's my best friend, everyone." I laugh between bites.

"You're damn right." Quinn giggles then looks to Santana with a softened expression. "Consider yourself special because you've been added to the list of people I'm protective over."

"Oh joy." Santana laughs trying to feign annoyance, but the grin on her face shows that she really does feel special. It's good to have Quinn and Santana on the same side now, finally!


	32. Chapter 32 Closure

A/N Hey guys, so this is the second half of last chapter. There's only one more chapter after this one before I go back to writing Workin' Girls and drafting for the sequel of this story (which I've get to think of a name for). If you guys have anything you'd like to see or feel would fit in with the sequel, let me know. I'm up for ideas! :D Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

CHAPTER 32

_Continued;_

"Awh, Quinn.." I cooed as I patted Quinn's hand across the table, "That was a really nice thing to say." I looked over at Santana who was trying to keep from showing how relieved she was that Quinn was actually siding with her rather than against. "Isn't that nice, Peanut?" I ask nudging the little blonde with my elbow. "Sanny and mommy are gunna be best friends, I can feel it." Bella giggled as she shoved more of her sandwich into her mouth.

"Whatever, Britt." Quinn huffed as her cheeks began turning a super light shade of pink. "Just be glad I'm not tormenting you on how freaking blinding your_ special_ _glow_ is right now.."

"Special glow?" I gasped and looked to Santana with wide eyes. "Am I glowing? Is that normal?" Santana's cheeks bunched as she revealed a toothy grin.

"Yeah, well after what we-"

"Before you finish that, Lopez, let me remind you that my 5 year old daughter is sitting right next to you.." Quinn cut in making Santana roll her eyes. She sat back in her stool with her arms crossed then looked to me.

"Uhm..You're glowing from all that Uno, babe," Santana said as her lips curled into a devilish smirk accompanied by a seductive wink. "Completely normal." I felt my cheeks heating up as my mind went back to the shower we shared and how incredibly _hot_ it was. But I also thought about how she didn't want me to go down on her. Was she afraid? Maybe she's never done it before, I mean, she's never had shower sex so it's possible. Or maybe it's not her thing? Maybe it's too personal? Maybe she's shy? Wait, Santana being shy in bed? That's not possible. Maybe she's-

"Oh gross, you guys _would_ corrupt an innocent children's game!" Quinn laughed; breaking me out of my thoughtful daze, as she set a glass of lemonade down for Bella then gave me a glass of Dr. Pepper.

"Sooo I don't get a drink either?" Santana sighed with her eyes narrowed at Quinn.

"Get it yourself." Quinn teased as she brought down a fourth glass from the shelf.

"She's still a guest, Q." I warned as I brought the cup to my lips.

"I know, that's why I'm getting her a glass too." Quinn groaned as she walked over to the fridge then looked over her shoulder. "What do you want?"

"The same as Britt is fine." She answered as her phone buzzed on the table.

"Alright, here." Quinn said almost bitterly as she slid a half full glass towards the Latina. San looked up through her thick lashes and smirked.

"So hospitable, you should really work in hotel management." She teased as she brought the cup to her lips. Quinn let out a laugh as she cleaned up Bella's empty plate.

"Can I watch tv now, mommy?" Bella chirped as she climbed down from her stool.

"Sure thing, baby, what are we gunna watch?" Quinn said as she came out from behind the kitchen counter and followed Bella towards the couch. My eyes followed them then back to Santana who was glued to her phone.

"Is everything okay over there?" I asked as I took the last bite of my sandwich. She licked her lips and nodded, not breaking eye contact with whatever she was reading on her phone. I moved over to the empty seat that was between us and looked over her shoulder. "You sur-"

"Look at this, B." She huffed and directed the phone to me revealing a picture of her, Bella, and I surrounded by paparazzi. I didn't really find it that bad until she swiped her thumb across the screen to show another picture, one of her shoving away a man with a camera in his hands. She scrolled down revealing more pictures of her yelling at people, the veins in her neck bulging and the fire in her eyes very evident. "They make me look like I'm fucking crazy!" She whispered angrily trying to not bring attention to herself.

"Crazy?" I asked innocently then leaned closer to her. "I think you look sexy."

"B, I'm serious.." Santana whined then showed me another picture, this time one of her prodding a guy's chest with her finger. "Look at that!" The way her voice came out so weak sounding told me that this was no time for teasing, these pictures were really bothering her.

"I don't see why you're getting so upset, Kurt said you're always in the magazines for being mean to paparazzi.."

"Yeah, I am..I-I just, I guess I don't want people to think-for Quinn to think- that I'm crazy especially when there's a kid involved."

"Babe, you weren't acting crazy though. You were protecting Bella and me." I said softly as I brought my hand up to rub gently at her back. "You did a good thing.."

"I-I know, but if Quinn sees these and how Bella was crying wouldn't she think bad of me? Like I put her daughter in danger or something?" She asked hesitantly, her dark eyes searching mine for answers. "I've already fucked up with her once, I don't want it to happen again.." Her voice came out in a soft whisper, almost like she didn't want me to hear. She tore her eyes away from mine and stared down at her phone again.

"Well, we might as well tell her now before she sees it on some filth magazine where what really happened is twisted into some random story about an alien abduction or zombies." I continue rubbing at her back as she keeps scrolling through the pictures and shakes her head.

"The things that those vultures are writing.." She sighs with such frustration. "Complete garbage!"

"Exactly," I say and cup her chin so that she's looking at me and not at her phone. "There's no use in getting all upset over something that isn't true, right?" My eyes flicker back and forth between hers, waiting for an answer. "Right?" I asked again, this time a little more forceful. She nods weakly with her eyes closed and a pout on her lips. "Uh-uh, use your words San." I teased and squish her cheeks together with my thumb and index finger making her lips poke out like a fish. She giggled as I kept squishing her cheeks with my fingers. "Awh, babe, you're so cute!" I teased.

"et oh mm ee itt!" She muttered as her hands swatted at mine on her chin.

"Sorry, Nemo, didn't catch that." I giggled until she lunged forward and crashed our lips together in a sloppy kiss. I immediately dropped my hold on her cheeks and rested it on her shoulder as she deepened the kiss. Surprisingly, I was the one who was humming as she took charge of the kiss and delved her tongue into my mouth. But as quickly as it happened, the quicker it ended and she was pulling back with lust filled eyes and a devilish smirk on her lips leaving me dumbfounded.

"Did you catch _that_?" She winked then patted my thigh. I looked at her with half lidded eyes and a lopsided smirk. "Well I see someone's got their _I'm super horny now_ face on." She laughed then leaned forward for short kiss.

"I-I do not!" I huffed as my lip involuntarily jutted out and my brows began to furrow. "Besides, we've got something more important to do."

"And what's that?" She replied sweetly as she traced patterns against my thigh with her fingertips.

"QUINN!" I yelled after smiling back at her. "Come here!"

"Oh, right! Good thinking, B, I almost forgot. Geez, what would I ever do without you?" San replied as she withdrew her hand from my thigh and straightened up in her seat. She looked over at me with such love, or so I thought it was, in her eyes then smiled.

"What's up, Britt?" Quinn called as she walked over to us in the kitchen.

"Uhh," I looked to San wondering if she wanted to do all the talking. She nodded subtly then smiled. "San's got something to tell you."

"Oh great.." Quinn groaned playfully as she walked around the counter so that she was facing both San and I. "Is this going to make me want to hurt you?" She asked as she leaned on the counter with her elbows. I looked over at San seeing that she was already becoming nervous again just by how she was ringing out her hands in her lap.

"Quinn-"

"I was just joking, Britt, I know if I ever physically hurt her you'd hate me forever.." Quinn sighed as she replaced her scowl with a welcoming smile.

"I could never hate anyone.." I muttered quietly to myself then reached over to keep Santana's hands from fumbling. She looked over at me with this worried expression but I just nodded with a smile.

"Oh God, you guys aren't getting married already are you?"

"Wh-what?" Santana and I both stammered with wide eyes.

"Oh, guess not." Quinn laughed, "I give it a year though." I glared at Quinn with my cheeks tinting a shade of pink. And to think that _I_ was the one who didn't have a filter sometimes."Anyway, go on.." Quinn said, her hand gesturing towards Santana.

"Well earlier today when Britts and I were picking up Bella from school, we-uh-sort of ran into a few paparazzi guys.."

"Are you trying to rub this whole _Quinn's getting cropped out of pictures but Bella's okay to be in them_ thing in my face or something?" Quinn asked with narrowed eyes.

"Q, just listen.." I warned and squeezed a little on San's hand to tell her to continue.

"Well, things sort of got out of han-"

"What?!"

"Q, listen.."

"Don't worry, I handled everything. A few guys tripped and some pushed into Britt who was carrying Bella. It was pretty crazy so it was only natural for Bella to get scared.." Santana was trying her hardest not to look Quinn in the eyes, probably afraid that if she did she'd reach across the table and slam her head into the counter for putting Bella in danger.

"So you put my child in danger, okay.." Quinn's voice came out smooth and even, no hints of rage at all, but that was the worse tone of voice.

"No, it wasn't intentional." Santana tried to reason as she finally made eye contact. "I would never _ever_ put Bella in danger, I love that little girl just as much as I love Brittany and, knowing who Bella's mother is, I'd use everything in me to protect her before I let anything bad happen." I stared at Santana with such adoration and by the look on her face; I doubt she really knew what she just said. I pressed my lips together trying to keep from smiling any wider, but I couldn't contain my joy. She loves me, Santana Lopez loves me. Me! My heart's skipping beat just thinking about it. I glanced up at Quinn and the smirk on her lips told me that she caught it too, but I didn't want to change the subject just yet.

"Which was exactly what she did," I cut in seeing that Santana was getting all caught up in her thoughts and the nerves of facing Quinn again getting to her. "She pushed guys out the way and yelled at everyone, it was crazy." I said with a hopeful smile. "She was very protective." Quinn looked from me to Santana with an unreadable face.

"We just wanted to let you know what really happened before you see your daughter with us on some magazine scared shitless." Santana said softly, not wanting to set off the quiet storm that is Quinn. The two of us sat there and waited anxiously for a reaction.

"Well, I can't really get pissed at you because you didn't let anything happen to either of them. I guess it's just that natural motherly instinct, you know? Anyways, I'm definitely glad you guys told me first." She shrugged. "You're right, if I would've seen that tomorrow or something I probably would've beat the crap out of you." She smiled genuinely at Santana then to me. "Good thing you told me ahead of time though!" She teased and walked back over to the couch. I turned to Santana just in time to watch her let out a shaky breath.

"Well that wasn't as bad as I thought." She smiled and turned to me with her brown eyes sparkling. "Thanks for being there for me." She said and pressed her lips to my cheek, leaving my skin tingling from the touch. She was relieved that Quinn didn't want to kill her, but what I got most was that she was oblivious to what she had said about me.

"Of course, babe." I answered sweetly before replacing my smile with a mischievous smirk. "So, I'm guessing you didn't catch what might've slipped out earlier.." She looked at me with furrowed brows.

"I'm not following."

"You know, how much you _love_ Bella." I smirked waiting to see if she'd remember her words.

"Well yeah, of course. I love Bella jus-"

"Just as much as.." I coaxed, all the giddy feelings in my body threatening to overwhelm with happiness. I watched as the confusion left Santana's face and it was like a light bulb went off in her head as the widest of smiles spread across her face. Oh yeah, she definitely remembered.

"J-Just as much as..I love you." She finished then smiled into my lips. For some reason, this kiss was different. It was soft and gentle and sweet like normal, but this time there was love involved. This time I _knew_ she loved me just as much as I have _always_ loved her. She pulled away but just by an inch and kept a smile on her lips. "I love you, Britt." She said again making my heart race and the hairs on the back of my neck stand. The words left her lips so effortlessly, like she's been rolling the thought around in her mind waiting for the right time to say it just like I had been doing. Who know it would just casually fall out like the way that it did, who knew it would be her to voice her true feelings first?

"I love you too, San."

_One Hour Later;_

"Come on, Bella, hold mommy's hand." Quinn cooed as the four of us piled out onto the bustling street. Bella scampered past me and San's legs as she quickly latched on to her mom's hand then smiled lovingly up at her. I found myself grinning goofily at the pair; they were just so damn cute together! I think I'm getting to that age where I really can't wait to be a mom. I mean, I've sort of always been a second mom to Bella or more like an aunt, but I wanna get called mommy too.

"Come on, Britt-Britt, hold my hand too." Santana whispered playfully as she slipped her cool fingers between mine. As always, her touch warmed me and left my skin tingling beneath hers. I directed my smile to her then snuggled around her arm as we trailed a few feet behind Quinn and Bella. "What are you smiling at?" She asked with her head tilted to the side, examining the grin I didn't know I still had as we followed closely behind the other blondes.

"Nothin," I shrugged. "I'm just really happy I guess." She scrunched up her face in that adorable way then snuggled into my side.

"Me too, baby." She replied softly then pressed her lips to my shoulder.

"Alright you two, hurry up!" Quinn called over her shoulder as Bella skipped next to her. Santana and I quickened our pace so that we were almost walking side by side the other pair. "Is she there yet?" Quinn asked just as San's phone began ringing.

"Speak of the devil." She laughed when she showed me who was calling; Brooke. "Hello? *pause* Yeah, okay, we're about a block away. *pause* Alright, see you." She slipped the phone back into her purse. "Yeah, she's there already."

"Let's just hope she doesn't kill our happy mood.." I muttered beneath my breath.

"You just call me up if she does, Britt." Quinn teased as she swung Bella over a puddle on the ground. "Me and Bella will take care of it."

"That's not necessary, Quinn, if she starts making Britt feel uncomfortable then we'll just leave." Santana cut in. "There's very few ways of getting Brooke to listen and threats aren't one of them, I think we all know that by now."

"Well look at San being all mature and what not." Quinn joked as we all crossed the crosswalk. "That's a first!"

"Oh, shut up Q." San laughed causing me to smile because the two were back at teasing each other and that was always a good sign.

"You two are ridiculous." I sighed then patted on the top of Bella's blonde head as she walked next to me. "Right, Peanut?"

"Right, Britty!" Bella squeaked cheerfully but I doubt she knew what she was agreeing with me about. I smiled down at the girl then looked back in front of me to see a familiar petite girl with long light brown hair leaned up against the wall staring down at her phone.

"Well, here we go." I exhaled as we got closer. Brooke broke her trance on her phone and looked up at us as we neared then gave us a genuine smile. It was weird not getting a smirk or a flirtatious grin from her; she must really want to keep this as civil as I did. That's good. Her piercing hazel eyes scanned over us then finally fell on Quinn who, I didn't realize, had replaced her sweet smile with her well rehearsed Queen Bitch scowl.

"Well I see you've brought your bodyguard." Brooke said sarcastically as she looked at Santana and I then nodded to Quinn. I couldn't really tell if she was just trying to joke playfully or if she was really trying to get a rise out of Quinn, either way, Quinn didn't let her get away with that.

"Look, I don't approve of this whole dinner thing because to me it kinda sounds like they're asking for your blessing or something which, in my opinion, is complete-cover your ears, Bella- bullshit. You've put Santana through enough which in turn has put Britt through enough as well. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if they get hurt by some stupid shit you say to them then there will be hell to pay." Quinn's voice stayed even and low which was always the most threatening. Santana and I just stayed silent off to the side watching what we knew we couldn't keep Quinn from doing. Quinn took a small step back just as Bella dropped her hands from her ears.

"Chill out, Blondie, I'm not-_Ow!_" Brooke yelped as she grabbed for her shin.

"Don't call my mommy names!" Bella snapped as she set her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side in a very Quinn-esque way. I ended up bringing up my hand to cover my mouth from letting a laugh escape. Remind me to make Bella millions of banana splits later, because that was perfect!

"Well, I definitely see where she gets her-uh-feistiness from." Brooke huffed as she withdrew her hand from her sore shin. "But I will be on my best behavior, Santana and I have talked about this and I know it may not seem like it, I do still care about her happiness, even if that means it's not with me." There was a long pause where we just stared at one another, not sure what should be said next. Thankfully, Santana spoke up first.

"Right, well, see you two later!" She said towards Quinn and Bella then directed her gaze on me then Brooke. "Let's-uh-eat."

After a short wait, we were already seated and had given are orders to the waiter and were now staring at each other awkwardly. Santana and I on one side, Brooke on the other with her arms folded on the table top.

"So, I see that you two are the new hottest couple of New York." Brooke said as she played with the straw in her cup. "Weird seeing you in my place.."

"Yeah, I'm still getting used to it all." I said as Santana curled her fingers into my hand under the table and pulled our clasped hands to her lap.

"Oh right, I forgot you aren't used to the fame." Brooke smirked then quickly replaced it with a soft smile. "Sorry. I'm trying.." She said abruptly, mostly to Santana though.

"It's alright, you get three strikes." Santana shrugged. "But if you piss Britt off, we're gone, and I won't stop her if she decides she wants to punch you in the throat." She added then smiled over at me seeing that I was growing a little upset at what Brooke had said since Santana knew how I felt about not fitting into her life.

"I wouldn't do that." I said with a smile. "I'm going to follow the rules and be civil." Santana chuckled then directed her gaze on Brooke.

"I got it, I'm gunna follow the rules too." Brooke answered her unspoken question. "Sorry, Brittany, once I figure out someone's weakness it gets pretty difficult for me to not use it against them."

"Weakness, what weakness?" I ask with my forehead wrinkled.

"Uh, you know, having to compare to me." She said lightly. I felt Santana tensing up, but I squeezed her hand a little to let her know I was okay. "I mean, I'm a head surgeon at one of the best hospitals and you're-you're just a choreographer."

"Brooke, strike-"

"No Santana, that's not how I meant that to sound," Brooke quickly cut in shaking her head. "I'm just worried I guess about how your parents are going to handle this." Her parents? Santana never talks about her parents, and when she does it's very brief and she always has that weird expression on her face. How would Brooke know anything about her parents if San doesn't even like talking about them to me? Brooke directed her gaze on me with softened eyes. "Don't get me wrong, I think it's awesome that you're a choreographer and you do what you love but I don't know-I'm just worried that Santana's parents won't-"

"That's enough; I'll deal with my parents later." San cut in with her jaw set. Brooke stopped and looked between Santana and I.

"You haven't told her, have you?" There was silence again.

"What is it?" I asked quietly. "I mean, if you aren't comfortable with me yet to tell me then that's okay too."

"Damnit, Santana, just tell her." Brooke sighed. "I mean, look at her..she'll love you regardless."

"That's tr-wait." I stopped and looked to Brooke. "How did you know?"

"Oh please, I've known the first time I ever saw the two of you in the same room." Brooke joked. "You were like a love sick puppy dog, it was great."

"Whatever." I huffed, not wanting to be made fun of for being in love.

"Yeah, back to more important things." Brooke said and turned to Santana. "Just tell her.."

"Brooke, stop." Santana said angrily.

"You really don't have to if you don't want to, babe." I said softly and patted her thigh.

"No, just tell her already!" Brooke said with her voice raised a little higher. "That's not something you can hide from and push away like you do everything else that scares you, just say it!" I watched as Santana grew more and more distant, like the way she usually does when she gets lost in her thoughts.

"You have no say in what I feel like telling my girlfriend. Remember why we're here, you're supposed to be apologizing." Santana replied.

"Fine!" She huffed then turned to me with one of the fakest smiles I'd ever seen. "I'm sorry for being a bitch and not taking a hint. You're way better for Santana and I know you could give her that happiness that she never got from me. So, I'm sorry." She said then directed her gaze on Santana with her eyes narrowed. "Your turn, stop being a coward." I could practically see the smoke spewing from Santana's ears and I knew that _this_ is when I should take charge and cut this dinner short.

"Alright, Brooke, that's enough." I cut in as I began pulling Santana with me out of the booth. "She can tell me whatever this is about whenever she feels like it; I'm not going to force her if she's not comfortable." I said with an even voice. "And waiting to tell me something as important as I think that this might be does not make her a coward." I dug in my pocket and threw down some cash on the table to pay for our drinks and appetizer. "Apology accepted, now leave us the fuck alone. Goodbye." I said then entwined my fingers with Santana's and headed for the exit. I didn't realize how fast I was walking or how angry I was becoming until we were out of the restaurant and were walking back to my apartment.

"Britt-"

"I can't believe she had the nerve to say all those mean things-"

"Babe-"

"Right in front of me when this was supposed to give you some-"

"Britt-"

"Closure! Instead she goes and tries to force you into telling me-"

"Baby-"

"Things that you aren't comfortable telling! Who does she-"

"Brittany!" I paused when I heard Santana call my full name. She never says my full name unless I'm in trouble..

"Yeah?" I asked hesitantly but instead of a lecture, she cups my cheeks and presses her lips into mine for a very passionate kiss.

"I just wanted to tell you how much I love you." She smiled affectionately as she pulled away from my lips. I found myself staring at her speechless; I probably won't ever get tired of hearing those words leave her mouth.

"I-I love you too." I replied shakily then pressed my lips to hers one last time before heading back to the apartment.

Once back to the apartment, we were surprised to see Quinn and Bella sitting on the couch sharing popcorn.

"Well, you guys are back early." Quinn teased as she craned her neck to look over at us.

"Told you it would be a short dinner." Santana replied as she followed me to the couch and sat beside me.

"It was _that_ bad?" Quinn asked, taking another handful of popcorn and popping pieces in her mouth.

"Eh, it was okay." I said with a shrug. "I mean, it started off okay but then she started pressuring San and I didn't like that so I made us leave." I added but before Quinn would start asking the question I knew she was going to ask, I quickly spoke again. "Aren't you two supposed to be at Sam's?"

"Yeah, we went but we were just stopping by." Quinn shrugged. "He had to work again." Sam's always working now a days, but he always finds the time to see Quinn and remind her that he still thinks about her and stuff. Suddenly, I felt the cushions vibrating.

"Oh, that's me." Santana said and dug in her pocket for her phone. "Ugh.."

"Brooke?" I asked, "I'll answer it." She smiled lovingly at me and shook her head.

"It's my work, they've already called three times, it must be important if they're calling me on my day off!" She huffed then began getting up from the couch with her phone to her ear. "This better be good.." She said before trailing off as she left the room. I pouted at the loss of contact then caught Quinn staring over at me.

"So what exactly was Brooke pressuring her to do?" Quinn asked quietly. I knew she wouldn't forget something like that even if I tried covering it up.

"I think it's something about San's parents." I shrugged. "Brooke kept talking about how her career and my career are so different and that she's _worried_ about how San's parents might react I guess?" The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. She told me a long time ago that her dad was a doctor and that he wanted her to be a doctor, obviously that didn't happen. Maybe dating someone like Brooke pleased her family or something? Who knows, but it sort of made sense.

"Huh, well you know Santana.." Quinn sighed and brushed through Bella's hair as the little girl napped on her mom's lap. "She'll come to eventually."

"Come!" I squeaked as another thought resurfaced in my head.

"Uhh, what?"

"Q, I need advice." I said softly. "Uh, sex advice.." Quinn's eyes bugged out as she froze.

"Britt, I'm straight..I-I don't really know what goes on and-"

"No, not like that.." I sighed. "Just listen, okay?"

"Alright, go ahead." She said. I looked around making sure Santana was still on the phone and out of hearing range.

"Well, it's no secret that me and San have pretty amazingly hot lady sex."

"Oh God, okay, go on."

"We can't keep our hands off each other, no biggie." I replied nonchalantly. "But earlier, I wanted to go down on her a-and she wouldn't let me." Quinn's lips parted as she tried to wrap her mind around what was going on. "I don't understand why she didn't want me to."

"Uh-well, maybe she's just shy?

"Santana? Shy? I-I just don't see it."

"Well, some people find that sort of thing super intimate and they want to hold off until the most special moment."

"Hm, I guess that makes sense." I sighed.

"Or maybe she's never done it before." Quinn said, "Has she ever tried doing that to you?" I tried to think back, but I drew blanks. I mean, I think I would remember if her tongue was slipping along my folds but I couldn't picture it. Come to think of it, I don't think she's ever kissed me lower than my belly button! Even when I would kiss down her body, she'd always pull me back up if I got past her hip bone! Wow, maybe she is a little shy?

"Huh, she's never tried with me." I replied with a blank expression. "Maybe she is a bit-"

"Everyone's lost their mind!" Santana groaned as she reentered the living room then looked to me. "I've got to head into work to check on something, wanna come over later?" She asked with a smile as she walked back around the couch. I looked to Q who just nodded then back to Santana.

"Yeah, sure." I replied and leaned forward to give her a kiss goodbye. She left in a flash and soon I was just left with Quinn, a sleeping Bella, and my jumbled thoughts.

_Later That Night;_

"The only way you'll find out is if you ask, Britt." Quinn shrugged as I got ready to go over Santana's. "Just talk it out, maybe she really wants to and she just wasn't feeling it that time?"

"Yeah, okay." I nodded and reached for the front door. "Thanks Q, you're the bestest!" She rolled her eyes playfully at me.

"You know it." She teased, "Now go get it on with yo'woman!"

"Bleh, don't say it like that." I laughed as I began the walk to Santana's. It got there in about 10 minutes and tapped at her door three times like I normally do.

"Hey baby, I've got some really good news to tell you!" She cheered as she pecked me on the cheek and pulled me into the apartment.

"Oh? What's that?" I asked genuinely surprised. I could tell she was really happy about this by the way she kept skipping around and how fast she was talking. "San, sit." I said and patted the spot next to me on the couch. She nodded then slowly moved to the spot and turned her body to me.

"Well.." She drawled out. "How would you feel about choreographing for someone else that's not Rachel Berry? Maybe, I don't know, someone with a lot more star power?"

"Wait, what?"

"My management team came across an upcoming singer who's already gotten favor of the younger generation and they suggested that I hire you as a choreographer for the music video as well as any other dance related aspect of the company." I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped to the floor at hearing what I thought I heard.

"Wh-What? You wanna hire me?" I stammered in awe. "B-But what about Showtimes? Who's going to-"

"Your friend Mike will take over your duties at Showtimes." She stated. "Britt, I really think this would be a really good thing for you." She said then reached for my hand. "You're so talented, let me help you show that off."

"Wow, I'd be working for SnixxJuice.." I said dreamily.

"Yeah, but it would be a lot of work." She added. "I don't think you would be able to work at The Coffee Shop anymore.."

"That's okay, the only reason I stayed there was to make sure I got to see you." I winked, "But I've got you already, so who needs it!" She laughed and nudged me with her shoulder.

"Soo, you're in?" She asked hesitantly with a hopeful smile.

"Totally." I answered. She hopped in her seat and clapped before I crashed my lips to her. She couldn't do that kind of thing looking all adorable like that and not get kissed for it. But, like always, our innocent peck somehow transformed into a full on, hot and heavy, make out session.

"Mm, San.." I groaned as she pressed her body against mine on the couch and trailed wet kisses along my neck. I felt her hands sneak under the sides of my shirt and caressed the warm skin there. I loved how she touched me, always so gentle and soft. I tangled my hands into her hair as our lips worked together in a rhythmic way, our tongues battling for dominance, and our breath hitching at each deep kiss.

"_Ooh, _Britt!" She squeaked when I slipped my thigh between her legs as she began to straddle me. I smiled into her lips as she pressed her core into my leg and started rocking. Soon, shirts were flying, pants were being kicked off, bras landed on the floor, and ruined panties were thrown carelessly away.

"I wanna feel you." I husked from beneath her as her hands glided up and down my stomach. She smiled seductively at me, her eyes clouded over by lust, as she slowly dragged her nails down my abs. I found myself shivering at the gesture, but I couldn't help but get extremely turned on. I involuntarily bucked my hips into her when I felt her fingers slide along my slick folds. At first, it was slow and sensual and I found myself getting hotter and hotter by the second.

"You're so wet, B." She said in that low super sexy voice she normally had when she was turned on. She picked up her pace and started rubbing at my clit with her thumb. I rolled my head back on to the arm rest, the friction was just too damn good. At this rate, I'd be coming undone within minutes!

"Sh-shit, _ooh_, San don't stop." I whined and started rocking into her hand as she pressed her body against mine, our sweat glistening skin slipping and slide against each other's. "Just like that, baby, _ohh yeah!_" I felt my walls clenching around her fingers and with one last thrust, I felt my whole body get washed over by euphoria. "I'm coming, San, I'm com-" I couldn't finish the sentence as my body got completely taken over. I was breathing so hard while Santana just held me close and brushed the matted hair away from my face.

"You're beautiful." She cooed and began kissed my cheeks as I came down from my high. I was still a little out of breath, but my body wasn't completely spent.

"Your turn." I said sweetly and flipped our positions so that I was now between her legs and had my body pressed into hers. I connected our lips again as my hands roamed her perfect body and stopped at her chest to give her breasts the much needed attention that they deserved.

"_Ooh,_fuck me.." She moaned as I trailed kissed down her chest. I spent a little time on her chest, she really loves my tongue on her boobs, before I slowly tried to make my way down her stomach. I kissed her flat stomach, licking and sucking a little on the skin there before taking the next step closer to what I was really aiming for. Just as I was about to cross her bellybutton, she stopped me.

"What's wrong, baby?" I asked sweetly as I kept pressing light kisses along her hip bone. "If you don't want me to, I won't, just say the word." She ran her hand across my cheek as she looked down at me.

"It's not that I don't want to, it's just-I'm..it's embarrassing." She said as I watched how flustered she got and how pink her cheeks went.

"That's okay, you can tell me." I replied and ran my hands down her sides. "I won't judge.."

"No one's ever.." She whispered.

"Seriously?" I asked with wide eyes. " "No shower sex, no oral, I bet you've never done it in the car before either!" I teased and kissed near her belly button. "Well that's okay, maybe you just never felt comfortable with the person? It happens."

"I-uhh..no car sex too.."

"No way, no car sex either?" I asked. She shook her head. Damn, what _did_ her and Brooke do? Actually no, I don't wanna know. "Baby, you have been missing out!"

"Well," She began a little coyly. "How about you catch me up?" She was back to being her usual lusty sexy self.

"Are you sure?" I asked softly, "I've got no problem waiting, you know I don't."

"Yeah, I know..but I really want you to be the first." She answered with a smile. "I want this, really bad." I stared down at her, my blonde hair cascading down the sides of my face.

"Alright, but if you want me to stop just say so and I will."

"I doubt I'd want that to happen." She smirked before letting me kiss my way back down her tanned body only this time, she didn't stop me once I got past her hipbone.

"Are you sure?" I asked once I was nearing her core. She nodded quickly then swiped her tongue along her bottom lip in the sexiest way that I doubt she even meant to do it on purpose. I placed my hands on her thighs and pushed the apart as I kissed lightly along her inner thighs, slowly making my way inward to where she needed me most. I made sure I was gentler than I had ever been with anyone as I flattened out my tongue and let it slide against her wet center.

"_Ooh, _babe, that's so-_mm_-good!" She whined as I twirled my tongue around her throbbing nub before sucking hard. She let out a high pitched squeak as her hands entangled in my hair. The more I lapped at her juices, the harder it was for me to keep her still and keep her legs from clamping down on my head.

"You taste so good, San." I cooed between licks as her moaning got louder. I took that as I sign that she needed more of me, so I entered her with my tongue.

"Britt!" She moaned and fisted in my hair as I pushed in and out of her. Her breathing grew ragged and her body was beginning to tremble as my tongue worked at her throbbing center. "_Oh fuck me_, B, _shit that feels-mmm!"_I felt her tightening around my tongue and I knew it was only a matter of time before she came tumbling down her high. I gave her one last suck on her bundle of nerves before I sent her over her edge. "Br-Britt!" She whined as her body thrashed beneath me. I tried my hardest to keep her waist from bucking into me and to keep her legs from putting my head in a death lock.

When it she had completely come down from her high, I crawled my way back up and cuddled into her side watching how she tried to even out her breathing. "Was that okay?" I asked softly.

"Baby, that was better than okay! I think that is going to be my like new favorite thing or something"! I found myself laughing at her enthusiasim.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." I winked. Even with her hair all tangled up and her skin all sweaty, she still was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. I draped an arm around her stomach and nuzzled into her. "Damn, I love you." I muttered against her neck as exhaustion began to over take me. "Always have and I always will." I blurted, too tired to even think that my words were a little too serious sounding.

"I love you too, Britt." She replied sweetly and brought up her hand to brush through my hair. "Thank you for being patient with me. You're the best girlfriend ever and I can't wait to experience more firsts with you." I found myself smiling hard at that, but I was too sleepy to even form words after that. All I kept thinking of was how nice it would be to live happily ever after with such an amazing person as Santana Lopez. We'd have a super nice house together with a whole bunch of cute babies that Bella could play with, fans that would love us as a couple, our wedding would be the greatest wedding of all time, we'd cry buckets of tears when we'd have to send our kids off to their first day of school, we'd grow old together on those rocking chairs telling our grandchildren about our epic tale of love. It all sounded pretty nice to me, and it was in this moment that I knew I was in trouble.


	33. Chapter 33 I Give It A Year

A/N Well, this is the final chapter which could really be like 4 chapters but I combined it all in one. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed/favorited/followed/recommended this story, it really means a lot to me. Before you guys start reading, I want you to make sure you see all the time lapses. Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

CHAPTER 33

_2 Weeks Later, June;_

It had been two weeks since Santana offered me the choreographer position at SnixxJuice, but I hadn't actually had my first day there yet being that I had to give Mike some pointers in teaching my dancers since our teaching styles were pretty different. I wasn't worried though, Mike and I have danced together and taught classes before so I know they'll be in good hands. But today was my final day at Showtimes and I couldn't help but find it bittersweet. I knew with Santana's help, I could really show off my talent with but I'd really miss working at Showtimes.

"I hope I don't cry.." I mumbled as Santana and I entered the double doors of the building. She smiled over at me and brought our clasped hands to her lips and kissed my knuckles. She didn't have to come with me today, but after telling her how hard it is for me to say goodbye, I couldn't get her to stay home. That's good though, I think its better that she's here with me anyway.

"We'll visit often, B, it's not like you'll never see them again." She shrugged with a lopsided grin. I nodded with a weak smiled and headed for the dance studio where Mike should be practicing with the rest of the dancers. "We'll come watch all the big performances and we'll be here for open mic night too!" She added and nudged me a little with her shoulder.

"Yeah, you're ri-" I was cut short when we turned the corner and entered the room to find that it was filled with all the dancers, Mike, Kurt, Rachel, Noah, Sugar, and even that one girl that I swear I know her from somewhere but I just can't place her name.

"SURPRISE!" They all screamed in unison causing me to take a step back with wide eyes.

"Wh-What the?" I stammered as Santana smiled to me and pulled me into the room as everyone started to greet me.

"I couldn't let the reason why this place is so successful go without a proper going away party, we're all going to miss you!" Noah said as he pulled me in for a big hug. "You can have your job back whenever, I'll double whatever she gives!" He teased as Santana shot him a death glare.

"Nice try, Puckerman, but you can't give her anything as _close _as good as what I can." Santana teased and wrapped her arm around my waist. "Or just gave her just before we came here."

"Ha! I doubt it," He laughed and shook his head.

"I've definitely got it covered, thank you." She replied with a smirk then winked at me.

"I've got a funny feeling we aren't talking about money anymore, are we?" I asked with narrowed eyes and a smirk. The two just laughed and shook their heads.

"Alright, let's get this party started!" Rachel yelled and turned the volume of the music back up. Everyone began dancing and snacking on the food that was set out on the side tables. I found myself casually wondering around, subconsciously trying to memorize every detail of the studio like I wasn't ever going to set foot inside again. I slid my foot across the slick floor, "I'm going to miss these floors," I thought. I thought the same thing as I glanced over at the mirrors then the counters, even the stools where Kurt and I shared so many talks trigged my emotions.

"Hey Britt, over here!" Kurt called as he waved from the other side of the room. I nodded then weaved my way through the crowd to get to him. "I can't believe it; you're going to be working for SnixxJuice!" He cheered as he pulled me in for a hug. "It was just yesterday when you first auditioned here, you were so nervous!" He teased and pinched my cheek.

"Yeah, I remember." I laughed at the floor bashfully. There were so many memories, so many deep conversations shared in the very room, it was no surprise that I was starting to get a little emotional."I'm gunna miss you, my precious unicorn." I pouted and dropped my head on his shoulder.

"Awh, Britt, don't cry." He cooed and began patting my back soothingly. "We'll hang out whenever and I'm sure I'll see you around SnixxJuice sometime because I _am_ still a co-owner."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that.." I mumbled into his shoulder and slowly picked my head up to see that I had gotten eyeliner on him. "Oh, I got makeup on you.." I said apologetically and started brushing at his shoulder.

"That's alright," He smiled. "I don't even like this shirt all that much, besides I could sell it on eBay and probably make a fortune!" He laughed with squinty eyes. "I can see it now, authentic tear smudges of one Brittany Pierce! I'd make millions!" I found myself laughing too and soon I didn't feel so sad anymore. "We're all so proud of you, Britt, you really deserve this."

"Awh, thanks Kurt." I answered bashfully then sent him a shy smile. "You always know the right things to say to make a girl feel special." He gave me a wide grin before going out to dance with Blaine just as Santana walked up behind me.

"Just coming over to remind you that we've got one more stop to make," Santana said sweetly as she set her hands on my hips. "We can leave whenever you want though." I nodded then pulled her out to dance.

"I'm gunna miss these floors..is that weird?" I mumbled as I spun her around then pulled her back to me. She smiled and shook her head.

"Not at all, babe." She said and rolled up on the tips of her toes and gave me a chaste kiss.

After a couple hours of socializing with the dancers and watching a routine that they had made just for me, Santana and I were on our way to The Coffee Shop.

"Well, here comes round two." I sighed and snuggled around Santana's arm as we walked the short distance to the shop.

"Hey, you're doing good, I only saw you tear up like twice." She teased making my lips pout as the sad thoughts reentered my mind. "Oh no-no, no pouting." She said and went to kiss my shoulder. "Think happy thoughts, B!" She insisted as she opened the door for me and gestured for me to walk through first. I braced myself for another surprise, but nothing came. I knew someone had to be here since there were still a couple customers seated at the tables, one group being that of Heather and her friends.

"Wait, babe, you go first." I whispered hesitantly and pushed Santana in front of me.

"So if someone jumps out at us, you'll use me as protection?" She laughed at me over her shoulder as I hid behind her then started to walk forward a bit. "I feel the love." Suddenly I heard what sounded like tin cups fall to the floor.

"What was that?!" I whispered and clung to her waist and peeked over the back of her shoulder. "San, I'm scared."

"Baby, just calm down." Santana laughed as we got closer to the counter. "It's probably Quinn or something trying to-"

"SURPRISE!" Christy, Jacob, and Quinn yelled from behind the counter as Santana and I inched closer. The two of us froze as the three seemed to have popped up out of nowhere.

"Holy fu-" Santana began as she clutched her chest until a familiar little blonde scampered from around the counter.

"Surprise, Britty!" Bella squeaked and hugged my legs then turned to Santana with a big smile. "I scared you!" She teased and poked at Santana's thigh.

"You really did, little one, I thought we were on the same side!" She pouted down at the blonde who in turn pouted too.

"Hey, don't be putting my daughter through a guilt trip over there!" Quinn joked as she came around from the counter and scooped up Bella in her arms.

"Oh boo, you guys couldn't hold off till I got away from Britt?" San laughed as she turned to face me.

"You were in on this?!" I gasped, "You're never on my side.." I feigned a pout which only made Santana drop her arms around my shoulders and pull me into a hug.

"I just got the shit scared out of me for you, that should count for something." She replied sweetly.

"It doesn't." I huffed, trying my hardest to keep up my being hurt act. She just smirked and leaned in close to my ear.

"I'll make it up to you later then.." She whispered in her sexy voice that sent shivers through my body. She pulled back and winked before Christy came over to me with a small coffee cup shaped cake with the words 'good luck' written over top with pink icing.

"This is for you, Jacob and I pitched in to get it." She smiled and set it down on one of the empty tables before pulling me into a tight hug. "I'm surely going to miss your quirkiness.."

"Oh no, here comes the waterworks!" Jacob laughed as he pulled me into a hug too. "I can't wait to see you on tv or something, you'll be the first famous person I've ever met!"

"What about me?" Santana joked but Quinn just laughed.

"Britt's outshining you at the moment," She winked and handed Bella to me. "Deal with it."

"I'm totally going to miss coming in here and making you guys do all the hard work while-"

"While she sits staring out the window waiting for her precious Santana to walk in." Christy cut in with a giggle. "God, did you know she had your schedule down so she knew exactly when you'd come in?" I felt all the blood rush from my face. Why are all my friends so damn embarrassing?

"Oh my God, Christy.." I groaned and tried to shield my blush with my hands. "You've spent too much time around Quinn."

"Awh, that's cute." Santana giggled and pulled my hands away from my face. "My little creeper.."

"I-I wasn't- I'm not a creeper!" I stammered only making Santana and everyone else laugh even more. "Geez, you guys suck." I groaned and went to sit down when I realized someone was standing behind me, that someone being Heather. "Hey Heather!" I said cheerfully.

"H-Hi." She stammered with a nervous smile. I looked up to see her friends sitting in the corner watching her anxiously. Kids these days are so weird!

"What's up?" I asked when I saw she was holding onto something. "What's that?" I gestured to her hands.

"I-uh-could I-uhm-could you sign this?" She asked nervously and unraveled a magazine that she had put the death grip on. "No one at school believes me when I tell them that I knew who you were before you were famous.."

"Oh yeah, totally!" I answered happily. I looked over to Quinn who was now standing next to Santana, both wore a smirk. I rolled my eyes at them and directed my attention to Heather. "Got a pen?" I watched as she searched her sides frantically but came up with nothing.

"Uh, hold on.." She muttered and ran off back to her table where her friends probably teased the crap out of her for not bringing a pen with her then jogged back over. "Uhm, here." She said and held up a purple pen.

"Nice!" I reached for her pen and sat down at the nearest table. She walked over to stand next to me and hovered over my shoulder. "Can I draw a fish?" I asked and looked up at her with a smile.

"Oh, yeah sure!" She replied a little less nervously. "Do whatever you want." I nodded and turned back to drawing.

"You've probably heard that it's my last day today," I said without looking at her.

"Yeah.." She mumbled and even without looking at her, I could tell she was a little sad. Poor kid, I totally felt for her because she probably only came here to see me just like I only looked forward to Santana coming in for her coffee.

"You know, I'm gunna miss you too." I shrugged and filled in some lines of my picture absently. "You're a super sweet kid, always polite when ordering and you never leave a mess!" I laughed and capped the pen and spun around to get up to find her still smiling up at me. "You better stay in school," I said and handed back her magazine. She nodded furiously."And don't do drugs either!" She nodded again but this time with a big grin and clutched the signed magazine to her chest. I smiled down at the girl seeing how happy she was just because I drew a picture on her magazine. Then again, if Santana drew something for me I'd probably keep it forever. "Well, see you around kid." I said and leaned in to give her a quick kiss on her cheek. I knew she'd find it way more meaningful than I did, but hey, why not make this girl's day with just an innocent little kiss? The whooping and hollering of her friends broke the girl out of her daze and she quickly shuffled back to her table with beet red cheeks. I smiled to myself knowing that I probably not just made her day but probably her whole freaking life!

"What the hell was that?" Santana asked with her hands on her hips and a scowl. I looked to her nervously and watched as Jacob and Christy slowly backed away, Quinn even scooped Bella up and went to go sit down as far away from us as possible.

"Nothing, I just wanted to be nice." I shrugged innocently, but she kept her eyes narrowed on me. "What? What's wrong, are you jealous?" She cocked her head to the side, you know, the way she usually does when she feels jealous.

"J-Jealous?!" She gasped with her hand on her chest. "Of some love sick teenager who's got the hots for my girlfriend?"

"Yes.." I smirked, she was definitely jealous.

"Of course not!" She laughed nervously. I looked over at Quinn who was trying her best to stifle a laugh then directed my gaze back on to Santana who almost looked fuming.

"Then why are you getting so flustered for?" I teased and brushed my thumb over her pouty lips. "Don't worry, baby, some 16 year old girl poses no threat to you. Promise." I winked and pressed my lips to hers. She didn't make a move to kiss me back. "Kiss me!" I whined.

"Nope." She said shortly and looked away from me. "Go kiss your new girlfriend."

"Oh, don't be like that!" I laughed and pulled her hips to me then cupped her chin so that she _had_ to look at me. She stared back, at first with a fiery gaze but then it slowly melted away the longer she stared into my piercing blue. Her shoulders finally dropped in defeat as the wrinkles on her forehead vanished before a weak smile appeared on her lips. "It's cute when you're jealous." I cooed and pressed my lips to hers, this time she kissed me back.

"Alright guys, let's not forget you're in public." Quinn sighed as she turned Bella away from us. "I know how quickly those kisses can escalate!" Santana and I both rolled our eyes at her.

"Whatever, let's just eat this cake before I throw it at you."

_June, Brittany's Birthday;_

"Happy birthday, babe!" Santana yelled as she crawled over top of me and straddled my bed sheet covered legs then leaned in to kiss my forehead. I groaned at her loudness and tried to roll over, but she had me pinned down. It's my birthday, can't I sleep just a _little _longer?

"Too early." I mumbled with my eyes tightly shut. "Must sleep more."

"No, wake up! We've got stuff to do!" She whined and started kissing all over my face, my cheeks, my nose, my eyes, my lips, my forehead, everywhere. It was hard not to break into all smiles when that's how she wanted to wake me up.

"Meh, fine." I groaned and lazily opened my eyes to find her smiling down at me, her long dark hair cascading around her face as her eyes twinkled with delight. I felt really sleepy still, but nothing woke me up quicker than having a sexy lady straddling my legs and hovering over me low enough that I could practically look down her shirt.

"Subtle, babe, real subtle." She teased and tilted my chin up so that I was looking into her eyes and not down her shirt. She narrowed her eyes down at me playfully then shook her head.

"Hey, it's my birthday..I can do whatever I want!" I smirked and sat up on my forearms so that I was just inches away from her lips. "Plus, you _did_ wake me up when it's _your_ fault I didn't go to sleep till like what? Four hours ago?"

"Hey! I recall you enjoying yourself very much, so don't blame me cause you can't keep your hands off me." She giggled then dropped her hands to my thighs. "But, that is very true." She winked and leaned in ever so slightly that our lips were barely grazing each other's. I wasn't even looking into her eyes anymore, just watched her lips move as she spoke. "Well, we've got lunch with Quinn, Bella, and Sam at 2:30." She said, her cool breath tickling my trembling lips. I swallowed thickly and tore my eyes away from her lips and looked into her smoky brown eyes only to find that she was actually staring at my lips too. "So, what the birthday girl like to do in the meantime?" She poked her tongue out and swiped it across her full lips then her eyes found mine.

"Mm, I-I don't know.." I stammered suddenly forgetting how to speak properly with the way she was looking at me. I didn't realize how heavy I was breathing already and she hadn't even kissed me yet! She narrowed her eyes at me playfully then gave me one of the sexiest smiles I had ever seen. If a smile could turn me on, it would be _that_ kind of smile.

"Hm, well I've got a few ideas." She smirked and slowly traced her fingers up my arms to my shoulders, the way her nails dragged up my skin sent the hairs on the back of my neck to stand, then lightly pushed me back down to the bed. My head hit the pillows with a _thump_ as my hands slid up her thighs and landed on her waist. Nothing turned me on more than a dominate Santana, I mean, who wouldn't when there's a smokin' hot Latina on top of you smiling down like you're the greatest thing in the whole world? Exactly, no one, even blind people probably would've gotten a little hot if they were in my position. Her hands found their way under my loose shirt then slid up slowly like she was trying to memorize every detail of my stomach before she began palming my breasts.

"_Mmm, San.._" I groaned as she lowered herself so that she was littering my neck with open mouth kisses while her hands still furiously worked at my chest. Words couldn't describe how much I loved the way she kissed; always so gentle and soft yet filled with such passion and want. She kissed a line across my jaw line then poked her tongue out and licked up the trail of kisses she just made. I found myself giggling a little, being licked always tickled to me which Santana took advantage of at every moment possible. I brought my hands up to her cheeks and found her lips. I felt her smile against me as our tongues swirled around each other's and teeth grazed lips. My body was on fire and she still hadn't even touched me yet, I mean like _really _touched me which I found surprising, because she could never last more than 10 minutes of pure making out before her hands started to wander into my pants.

"I-uh-I wanna try something.." She mumbled into my lips as she broke away and stared down at me, her hands pressed into the mattress on either sides of my head as she held herself up. Her eyes were filled with such a mixture of desire and love that it made my heart skip a few beats. I could tell she was a little nervous for some reason the way her eyes flickered between mine, so I brought my hands to her sides and leisurely glided them up and down a couple times in hopes that it'd calm her down a little.

"Consider me your test subject then, babe." I grinned sweetly up at her. She smirked the pressed herself back into me so that her boobs were pressed into mine while she connected our lips briefly before working her way down my neck. I bit down on my lip and involuntarily bucked my hips into her as she moved lower and lower down my body. It didn't take long for me to realize what she wanted to try and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't extremely excited for it. Her hands landed on my thighs as her lips grazed past my belly button. I could feel her unsteady fingertips shaking against my skin, so I reached down and cupped her cheek as I ran my thumb over her cheek bone. "No need to be nervous, I'll love you no matter what." She looked up at me with softened eyes and nodded. I withdrew my hand and tucked it behind my head as I watched her move closer to my dripping center. She looked up at me through her thick lashes as if to ask for permission. "Go ahead, baby." I said softly and let her slowly push my thighs apart.

"Uhm, don't laugh at me if I mess up.." She muttered nervously. I felt my breath hitch as she inched closer to my core with lips parted, even her soft breathing sent a whirlwind of nerves through my body. Laughing at her was the last thing on my mind right now.

"_Mmm,_ I doubt you'll mess up." I groaned trying to keep from bucking my hips into her. "J-Just do what I do and you'll be fine." I answered as I bit down on my bottom lip to keep from sounding too aroused. She needed time to feel me out, as Santana would say, "Wanky". Yeah, I finally figured out what that word meant.

"Okay." She mumbled and gave me one last look before she dipped down. It felt like a million years before her tongue finally slid up my slick folds. "_Holy shi-"_ I whined when I felt the warmth of her tongue slipping through me. For it being her first time, she was _very _good at this. Maybe it was all the buildup that had me already aching for more, but I had to control myself for her sake.

"Is this okay?" She whispered, the lost of her tongue on me instantly made me pout.

"_Ooh, _yeah-don't stop.." I groaned and hid my face in the crook of my arm. Soon I felt her tongue back on me, lapping at me juices, before she explored further and twirled the tip of her tongue around my throbbing clit. "_Oh, r-right there!"_ I whined as I unintentionally bucked my hips into her. She was quick to pin me down though, both hands curled around my thighs to keep me from moving. Once she found my spot, she created a groove and worked furiously at making me moan, alternating between sucking and licking. "_Mmm, _San-so good.." I husked; little droplets of sweat starting to form on my forehead and between my boobs. I could feel myself getting closer and closer the more her tongue glided through my increasingly wet folds; I'd be coming in no time. I needed more of her though, but as much as she wanted this to be about me, I wanted to make sure she was comfortable as well. And as if she had read my mind, because I'm pretty sure I didn't say that out loud, she entered me with her tongue. "_San, ooh!" _I huffed and fisted my hands into her hair. "_Right there-" _ I squeaked dipped her tongue into me and circled my sensitive nub with the pad of her thumb. She peeked up at me for a quick second before she went back to pumping her tongue in and out of me. My heart raced, my body was shuddering, and thighs struggled to close on her. "_S-So close, baby, don't st-stop!"_ I panted as my body squirmed beneath her. She began humming into me as her slick tongue continued to work which sent my walls to tighten around her. "_I'm-I'm gunna- Santan-ahh!" _ I yelled as I uncontrollably thrashed under her hold, my body arching at each move of her tongue. She kept me pinned, or tired to anyway, with all her strength as I toppled down from my high. She lapped at the rest of my juices as I slowly relaxed back into the mattress then crawled back up to kiss my lips.

"How was that?" She asked, her breathing a little ragged as she stared at me with hopeful eyes. "That was okay, right?"

"Okay?" I asked with a little giggle before I wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her to me. "Baby, that was perfect." I said and kissedthe tip of her nose. "You sure you've never done that before?" She smiled back and shook her head.

"Nope, I just had a _really _good teacher." She smirked and let me roll her over on her back for another round.

_Same Day, 2:07pm;_

"Was it this shirt you were looking for?" Santana asked as she raised a baby blue v-neck in the air as I sat on the floor digging through a pile of clothes. I looked up at what she was holding and shook my head.

"No, I'm looking for that teal one." I said and threw a couple more shirts out of the way. "The one with the stripes."

"Well, have you checked your drawer?" She asked and nodded to her dresser on the other side of the room. "That _was _the whole purpose of even giving you a drawer.." She laughed when I shook my head.

"Can't I just wear my birthday suit?" I asked playfully as I hopped up and jogged over to the dresser. "I mean, why call it a _birthday suit _if I can't even wear it on my birthday?"

"Because, you wore it already," She giggled. "You wore it pretty much the whole morning." I sent her a wink over my shoulder before I pulled open the third drawer, _my _drawer, and sure enough what was neatly folded at the very top of the pile?

"Found it!" I called as I yanked out the shirt and threw it on.

"I still don't understand how you can never find your clothes, B." She laughed as she helped me tug down the hem of the shirt. "You have your own drawer _and _section in my closet." She kept her hands on my hips after the shirt was completely on then stared at me. "You might as well move in, I've already got all your clothes here." A wide smile spread across my face as she slowly realized what she just said.

"You asking me to move in with you, Lopez?" I teased and slipped my fingers through her belt loops.

"Hm, is that what it sounded like?" She smiled coyly and tilted her head to the side. I wiggled my eyebrow at her which only made her giggle. "Then I guess I am." I grinned back at her, my tummy filling with all those cracked out butterflies, when I realized I had never lived with anyone else but Quinn and Bella. For practically 6 years, it's just been Quinn and Bella, and for some reason it made my smile falter a bit thinking that I'd be leaving them. "Oh, you don't have to give me an answer now babe." Santana said quickly probably noticing my quickly fading smile. "If it's too soon, I totally get it." She nodded and sent me an affectionate smile.

"It's not that," I answered with a weak grin. I never realized how considerate she's gotten of my feelings lately, but I loved it. "It's just, I've always lived with Quinn and Bella, I don't know how I feel about leaving them.." She gave me a lopsided grin then nodded.

"Yeah, I could see that." She shrugged, "Maybe Sam will move in with them, things are getting pretty serious between Ken and Barbie, don't you think?" She teased causing me to smile again.

"Ha! Quinn living with Sam? Unless they're married, I highly doubt that." I laughed. Quinn likes her privacy, no way she'd actually survive sharing a home with anyone but me and Bella let alone her boyfriend.

"Huh, you never know!" She winked and pulled away from me. "But we better head out now, we're supposed to be at Route 66 in like 10 minutes." She called over her shoulder as she headed out the bedroom. "And you know how Quinn gets when we're late!"

"Oh, don't I know it." I laughed to myself and quickly caught up to Santana.

_Same Day, 2:39pm;_

Santana and I ran up the side of the restaurant hand in hand noticing Sam waiting outside. As we neared him, he spun around with a big smile and pulled me into a hug.

"Happy birthday, Britt!" He cheered then waved at Santana, "Hey Santana!" He dropped his hands from around my waist and nodded to the restaurant doors. "They're waiting inside already." Santana and I nodded then followed him inside where we saw a super excited Bella peeking over the top of the booth and Quinn with her eyes narrowed.

"Why even schedule a time when you guys never show up on time?" Quinn sighed as she stood up and wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a hug. "But I'm not gunna get mad since it's your birthday!" She teased and pulled away so that she could narrow her eyes on Santana. "I'll just blame your girlfriend. Santana laughed and scooted in next to me as I sat next to Bella who threw her arms around my neck.

"Happy birthday, Britty!" She squealed and kissed my cheek.

"Thanks, Peanut!" I said happily as the little blonde pulled away and sat down properly. I planted a kiss to the top of her head then looked to Quinn and Sam who sat across from us. "Soo, where's my presents?" I teased but to my surprised Quinn pulled out a brightly wrapped box with a red ribbon wrapped around it. "Oh, I was joking but okay!" I said with a big smile and reached for the box.

"It's actually sort of for you _and_ Santana.." Quinn smirked making my eyes go wide.

"Uhh, is it okay that Bella's here when I open it?" I asked nervously. Sam and Quinn just looked to each other and laughed.

"Woah, what do you think is in there?!" Quinn laughed as she gestured to the box.

"I don't know, maybe a stra-"

"Okay, baby, just open it." Santana quickly cut in as she cupped her hand over my mouth. "I don't think Quinn would give you something like _that_." Santana said awkwardly.

"Oh gross, yeah no. Definitely not that." Quinn answered with her cheeks tinting a shade of pink. Santana withdrew her hand as I nodded so I could rip away the wrapping paper. I tore off the lid and stared down at what was inside with a questioning look.

"What the?" I gasped as I held up the magazine.

"Really, Q?" Santana sighed equally confused. Like always, Santana and I were somewhere on the front cover with some off the wall caption printed above our picture.

"Go to page23." Sam suggested as he sent Quinn and knowing look. I did as I was told and flipped through the pages.

"No freaking way." I gasped as my eyes scanned the top line of the page.

_Brooke Petterson leaves NYU Lagone Medical Center for Johns Hopkins Hospital located In Balitmore, Maryland. Any relation to the short dinner reporters saw her sharing with Santana Lopez and Brittany Pierce? We think so!_

"Did you know about this?" I asked Santana after scanning through the short article."

"Nope, no clue." She answered with wide eyes before looking up at me with a grin. "Guess she actually took your threat seriously." She winked and pressed her lips to my cheek.

"Hm, guess so." I whispered and read through the headline again to make sure what I read was what was actually written before I let it really sink in. Brooke was gone; no more run-in's, no more interruptions, no more anything, there wasn't even a chance that I'd see her walking down the street because she's freaking gone! I looked up from the magazine and scanned the faces around me before I a huge smile broke across my face. "Best. Birthday. Present. Ever."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure." Santana winked making Quinn roll her eyes. "Easy Q, I'm not talking about _playing Uno_." Santana laughed when she caught Quinn's expression.

"Oh, I love Uno!" Bella exclaimed excitedly making Santana and I blush fiercely.

"Oh no-no, you will not play Uno until you're at least 30 years old and you better be married too!" Quinn answered with her finger wagging at a confused Bella. The little blonde sat back down as she stared at me with her brows furrowed but I just shrugged and patted her head. I doubt Quinn would appreciate me telling her that we were most definitely not talking about the card game.

_Later That Night, SnixxJuice;_

"Uhm, as much as I love my new job here, I kinda don't want to spend my birthday at work." I said as Santana pulled me through the halls of the building past the many recording rooms and past her office.

"But this is part of your birthday present." She called over her shoulder as we turned down a hall that I don't think I had ever been down. My eyes trailed the walls as we passed a long line of framed records until we stopped in front of a big orange door.

"Hm, has this door always been here?" I asked with my eyebrow quirked up. "I think I'd remember a big orange door.."

"It hasn't." Santana smirked then gestured to the door. "Your surprise is in there." I looked to her skeptically.

"Babe, if something jumps out at me I might not forgive you." I said as I reached for the knob.

"I promise, nothing will jump out at you." She laughed from behind me. "Wait, let me get the lights." She said and wiggled in front of me. "I know how much you hate the dark." I nodded and let her pass as she entered the mysterious room. She wiggled her fingers into mine and pulled me behind her as she searched the wall for the lights.

"Oh my God." I gasped when the room filled with light. I glanced around at the mirrored walls, the beautiful hardwood floors, the orange ballet barres on one side of the room, the giant orange speakers that were welded to the corners of the room, the little break area with a flat screen tv on the dark gray painted wall, an orange couch nesseled in the corner, a little silver fridge sitting next to it, orange cubbies that lined another wall off to the side of the dancing area, until I finally landed back on Santana who wore a proud looking smile. "Oh my God." I gasped again.

"So you like?" She questioned as she showed me around. "We've never had our own choreographer and I thought it was a little inconvenient to rent out a studio down the street when you should be practicing here." She shrugged still looking away from me. "So I thought, hey, why not build a studio here!" She said cheerfully then spun around to look at me.

"Babe, you built a dance studio for me!" I squeaked excitedly. "A freaking dance studio!"

"Yeah, I mean, what kind of boss would I be if I hired a dance choreographer and not have a place for her to dance?" She winked and gestured to the orange couch. "Like my color scheme?"

"Yes! I love everything about this," I cheered and looked around the studio. "It's like a little bit of you and a little bit of me, like a baby!" Santana shook her head with laughter. "I mean, one of your favorite colors is orange and that's like the first thing I ever found out about you when we first met and I love dancing and I just-" I stopped my rambling when I saw she was just smiling at me. "I love you so much right now it's crazy." I laughed as I closed the distance between us and crashed our lips together.

_August;_

"Britt!" I heard Santana yell from the living room. "Britt, hurry up, it's on!" She yelled a little louder. I quickly grabbed the bag of chips and two cans of soda before running out to the living room.

"What? What is it?" I gasped as I set down our snacks on the coffee table.

"Look, babe, you're on tv!" She answered and pointed to the screen where my first choreographed music video was playing. My eyes almost popped out of my head when I saw my name in big white letters in the corner of the screen.

"No freaking way!" I yelled then jumped up and down. "I'm on tv! I'm on tv!"

"What the hell is with all the screaming?!" Quinn countered as she ran out with Bella on her hip.

"Q, I'm on tv! Look!" I pointed to my name on the screen.

"Wow, I can't believe my best friend is on tv." Quinn gasped as she set Bella down to the floor.

"Britty's on tv?!" Bella squeaked as she ran around the couch to look at the tv. "No she's not!" Bella pouted, "Those are girls aren't Britty.."

"No, Peanut, my _name_ is on tv." I said with a laugh and pointed to my name.

"Ohhhh.." Bella sighed then broke into all smiles. "You're on tv! You're on tv!" She cheered with me.

"Oh, babe, you're phone!" Santana called as she wiggled my phone in her hand. "It says Bryce."

"No way, toss it here." I said and held out my hands ready to catch the phone. "Hey, baby sis, sorry I haven't called in awhi-"

"It's cool, I know you're busy with your new super hot and famous girlfriend.." Bryce teased; I could practically hear the smirk on her lips. "Oh by the way, mom's super pissed that you haven't introduced us yet."

"Woah, kid, language." I laughed and went to sit down next to Santana. "And I know, I can't wait for you guys to meet her." I said and sent a smile to Santana who probably guessed I was talking about her. "She's really great. You guys would like her."

"Yeah, I bet." Bryce answered. "Well, I was just calling because I just saw your name on tv. I can't believe you're dating the owner of SnixxJuice _and_ the only choreographer there! So freaking awesome!" I found myself smiling at the title and my little sister's enthusiasm. "Just don't let the fame change you, that would totally suck.."

"Fame _change_ me? Please, I just hopped around my living room with Bella just because I saw my name on tv..I don't think it'll change me." I joked.

"Well, don't forget about us and dad says 'hi' but I've gotta go now." Bryce answered, "Make sure you call, you know, at least once a month or something? It's weird seeing what's going on in my big sister's life through magazines.." I felt my shoulders drop because I really haven't been talking to my family as much as I should be. That'll change for sure!

"Yeah, okay..maybe me and San will visit you guys sometime or maybe I could fly you guys up here?" I replied hopfully and shot Santana a smile. She wiggled her fingers into mine and brought our clasped hands to her lap. "Well, I'll try to call more. I love and miss you all! Bye." I hung up the phone and tossed it aside before dropping my head on Santana's shoulder.

"What's up, babe?" She asked as she untangled her fingers from mine so she could drape her arm around my shoulders.

"I feel bad." I shrugged and wrapped an arm around her waist and nuzzled into her neck.

"And why do you feel bad?"

"Because.."

"Because why, B?"

"Because I don't call my parents and sister as much as I should.." I sighed and looked up at her.

"Well, you've been super busy lately. I'm sure they understand." She answered with a smile and rubbed at my shoulder. "From what you told me about them, I'm pretty positive they'll forgive you." I felt her kiss the top of my head and for some reason it was like all the bad feelings washed away.

"You're right." I mumbled then lifted my head off her shoulder. "Do you talk to your sister often?" I asked lightly but she just shook her head.

"Uh, not really." She muttered as her eyes flickered away from mine.

"Oh, how come?" I asked hoping that she wouldn't shut down again like she usually did when I'd ask about her family. "You guys not close?"

"Uhm, something like that.." She sighed then licked her lips as she kept her eyes on the tv but I could tell by her blank expression that she wasn't really watching whatever was on. "We used to be."

"Oh..well, what happened?" I got a little confident and asked further and to my surprise she actually answered me.

"Well, my parents didn't like it very much when I dropped out of medical school. They pretty much hated me for a few years and my sister was kind of put in an awkward position after that whole thing so we just slowly stopped talking. It's whatever though." She shrugged and focused on the tv screen with a set jaw. That was about the most she's ever said about her parents and I hadn't even known she'd gone to medical school before! I had so many questions I wanted to ask, but I know Santana, my questions will be answered in time. So, not to press my luck, I quickly kissed her jaw and laid my head on her shoulder.

"Well, my family will totally love you just as much as I do!" I said cheerfully.

_October, Santana's Birthday; _

"Ready, Peanut?" I called as I slipped on the knit sweater Santana bought me a couple days ago. "We've got to get to the jewelry store before the dinner!"

"Oh we can't be late, Britty!" Bella answered as she padded towards me with one arm through her jacket and the other blindly searching for the opening of the other sleeve.

"Geez, you're just like your mom." I laughed and helped her into her jacket. "Ready?" The little girl nodded and soon we were out on the streets quickly walking towards the double doors of the closest jewelry store. "Alright, Peanut, we gotta find the most prettiest thing in here." I said to Bella as she hooked her fingers into my hand and followed behind me. I scanned the brightly lit display cases, glancing at all the necklaces and rings and bracelets. Nothing was popping out at me and I was getting a little worried because Santana's birthday dinner was in an hour and I procrastinated way too long to find her the perfect gift. I stared down at this one heart shaped necklace and instantly thought of Santana. It was a simple silver heart shaped pendant but down the middle was this twist that held two square cut diamonds. It was pretty, not too flashy, but still looked good.

"Oh Britty, that's so pretty!" Bella chirped as she pointed down at the same necklace I was looking at.

"You think so?" I asked and she nodded. "Yeah, me too. Let's keep looking though, just in case."

"Okay!" She said happily and followed behind me. Right next to the necklaces were the rings. I wasn't quite sure what Santana's ring size was so I doubt I'd get her one, but that didn't keep me from browsing anyway.

"Wow, look at that one Bella." I gasped as my eyes landed on silver ring with diamonds along the band and a little heart shaped cut one in the center of the ring. This too also screamed Santana, what's up with me and wanting to give her hearts?

"Would you like to take a look at it?" The salesman asked politely as he unlocked the display case and pulled out the ring and held it under the light. He went through all the specs or whatever they're called for the ring as it sparkled beneath the light.

"Santana would love this, don't you think?" I asked down at Bella.

"Oh, Miss Pierce!" The salesman gasped with wide eyes. "I didn't realize it was you. Wow, I'm so honored to be helping you pick out the engagement ring, I knew you two were a lovely couple." He replied happily.

"Wait, what?" I huffed. "Engagement ring?"

"Well, yes." He replied confused. "This _is_ the engagement ring section.." I pressed my lips trying to suppress my laughter. Oh God, I _would_ accidently pick out an engagement ring.

"Oh man, I'm just trying to find her a birthday present." I sighed with embarrassment. "I mean, I'd love to marry her and all, but I think it's a little too soon for that." He nodded in understanding and put the ring back in its place.

"My apologies for assuming." He bowed and followed me back to the necklaces. "You too do make a lovely couple though."

"Yeah, thanks." I replied happily and pointed to the necklace I had my eyes on first. "I'll take that one." He nodded and wrapped up the necklace and after paying, he handed over the little bag that held the necklace.

"It was a pleasure to help you pick out something for the lovely lady." He bowed again and gave me a charming smile.

"Yeah, totally." I replied before leaning in a little to him. "Would you mind not saying anything about me accidently picking out engament rings? If one day I worked up enough courage to propose I'd want it to be a surprise, I don't want the media or Santana thinking I'd been thinking of marriage already."

"Oh but of course." He answered sincerely. "When that day comes, I'll be here anxiously awaiting."

"Thanks!" I said and pulled Bella behind me. "Come on kid, mustn't be late again or mommy will kick our butts."

_One Week Later, October; _

After a super long and tiring day at SnixxJuice it felt so good to finally lie down. I had already took a shower and slipped into some sweat pants and a tank top and was lounging on the couch when Quinn came in with Bella.

"Wow, you're actually home!" Quinn teased as Bella scampered over to cuddle with me on the couch. "Where's your other half?" She asked with her hands on her hips.

"Right here!" I laughed and pulled Bella to my chest. "But my _girlfriend_ is still working."

"Ah, right." Quinn nodded and went to sit down at the little space at the end of the couch. "You know, you might else well move in with her Britt." I sat up a bit and stared down at her.

"Are you kicking me out?" I asked with wide eyes but she just shook her head laughing.

"No, I was just saying." She shrugged. "You're always over there anyway and I mean you guys have been together for what like a year?"

"No, a little over ten months." I corrected her with a chuckle.

"Well, whatever, seems like a year." She huffed. "You guys ever talk about you moving in with her?" I bit down on my lip and stared back with narrowed eyes.

"You're trying to get Sam to move in, aren't you?" I asked and watched as she parted her lips but nothing came out. "If you want me out so that he could come in, you could've just said so, Q." I laughed, "Besides, me and San just talked about this like a few months ago but I was just worried that I'd be leaving you and Bella and I didn't want that.."

"Oh Britt, you don't have to worry about us all the time." Quinn sighed and patted my leg. "It's time to experience life without us being around 24/7. I actually like the idea of you living with Santana, less mess for me to clean up after."

"What? I clean up after myself!" I replied feigning offense. "You're just saying that so you can get your boyfriend to move in." She shook her head with laughter.

"Whatever, all I'm saying is that if you wanna live with Santana you can. You don't have to worry about Bella and I forever, we'll be alright." I looked down at Bella who was now sleeping peacefully in my arms then back at Q who just smiled reassuringly.

"Well, I guess if Sam's moving in I can talk to Santana about it again." I replied and brushed my fingers through Bella's blonde hair. "Did you hear that Bella? This is your mommy's nice way of kicking me out so that her boyfriend can move in."

"Britt!" Quinn whined as the two of us began laughing.

_One Week Later; _

"Alright, I think that's the last box." I said to Sam as he picked up a cardboard box and headed for the front door. "Thanks for helping me move stuff, Sam, I totally owe you a beer or something!"

"No problem, Britt." He smiled and walked to the elevator. I spun around and gave the apartment one last look over. I don't know why it felt so sad, it's not like I won't be over tomorrow or the next day. I mean, I spend most of my nights at Santana's anyway.

"Hey, B, you alright?" I heard Santana ask as she walked through the doors of my used to be bedroom. I nodded and gave a weak smile. She smiled back and ran her hand over my back. "This is a big step for you and I'll be right beside you the whole way, okay babe?"

"Yeah, I know." I smiled and pressed my lips to her cheek. "I guess I'm just being silly." I shrugged with a genuine smile on my lips. "Speaking of silly, where's Bella?" The two of us looked around the whole apartment before I finally found her sitting in the corner of her room clutching the picture she drew me for Christmas. "Awh, Peanut, come here." I cooed and kneeled down and pulled her into my lap. She buried her face in my chest and I could feel her hot tears soaking through my shirt. "Don't cry, Bella, you know I don't like it when you cry.."

"B-B-But you're going away, Britt.." She stammered as she threw her arms around my waist. "You won't see me no more.." My heart broke at how upset she was and when I saw Santana poke her head into the doorway I just gave her a weak nod. She took the hint and disappeared so that I could comfort Bella.

"I'm not going anywhere, Peanut." I cooed and started rocking the girl in my arms. "I'll always visit and Santana and I will still pick you up from school whenever you want."

"R-R-Really?" She muttered and looked up at me with red eyes. I brought up the pad of my thumb and wiped her cheeks.

"Totally." I said cheerfully. "I promise to have our Britt/Bella night at least once a week, that way you'll be guaranteed to hang out with me!" That seemed to please her as she shot up from my lap with a bright smile and hugged me tight. "I'll never forget about my little Peanut." I cooed as I hugged the little blonde back.

Minutes later, Santana had joined Bella and I as we met up with Quinn and Sam downstairs where one of Santana's cars was loaded with all my boxes.

"What did you do this time, Lopez?" Quinn questioned as she saw Bella's redden eyes. "You make my daughter cry?" Santana just rolled her eyes with a laugh and shook her head.

"No, that was all me.." I answered confidently and wrapped my arm around Santana. "But it's okay, Bella and I made a deal so it's all good!"

"Oh okay.." Quinn shrugged then directed her gaze on Santana. "Careful with her, she likes to leave empty soda cans everywhere."

"Not-uh!" I argued and looked to Santana. "I really don't.."

"I know, babe." Santana laughed then turned her eyes on Quinn. "Q's just mad because she's going to have to deal with a boy leaving up the toilet seat and she'll probably fall in when she gets up in the middle of the night to pee."

"Oh, Quinn does sleep walk to the bathroom too!" I laughed to which Quinn just rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry, babe, I'm really good at remembering to put down the seat." He cooed and pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek.

"Yeah, you better hope so." Quinn joked and bumped him with her hip. Santana and I exchanged loving looks as we watched the way Quinn and Sam interacted with each other and how Bella smiled up at them affectionately. It made me feel so happy to know that Bella and Quinn would be in good hands. They were really a cute little family. "Well," Quinn sighed and turned to face us, "Now that you guys are moving in with each other, you know what the next step is..marriage." Santana began coughing uncontrollably while I just stared wide-eyed. No filter Quinn strikes once again! "Geez, I was just kidding!" Quinn laughed and pointed to the distressed Santana. "Britt, please make sure I didn't just kill your girlfriend." I sent her my best O_h my God do you realize you almost ruined all my plans for the proposal to be a surprise? Whose side are you on! When I told you not to say a word I meant DO NOT EVEN JOKE ABOUT IT! Geez, Quinn! _look and went over to pat at Santana's back. I couldn't but rethink about my idea of proposing to Santana considering the way she reacted to Quinn just joking about it. Maybe I should hold off a few more months..

_New Year's Eve, Showtimes, December;_

"Brittany! Santana!" Kurt called as he held his arms open side and ran over to engulf the both of us in a big hug. "You too look flawless like always, I'm really glad you guys made it!" He said as he pulled away and motioned to the stage. "Rachel's a freaking mess, her and Finn are on the rocks again, but let's just hope she doesn't burst into tears on stage."

"Oh God, that would be hilarious." Santana laughed making me poke her in the side and shoot her a disapproving glare. "I-I mean, that would be unfortunate.." Kurt eyed the both of us then laughed.

"We wouldn't miss the New Year's special performances here, they're pretty meaningful." I smiled then sent Santana a wink. "Right, babe?" She just nodded at me dreamily.

"Who knew Satan could be so whipped." He teased before excusing himself to check on the dancers. I smiled after him then scanned the place, it really hadn't changed one bit! Everything seemed the exact same!

"Can you believe it?" I sighed as I took her hands in mine. "Just a year ago we were both standing in this exact same spot sharing our first kiss."

"We've come so far, B." She replied with a softened expression.

"We've been together for a year, babe, that's so crazy! It feels like just yesterday when you almost broke my nose with the door at The Coffee Shop, remember that?" I laughed at the memory.

"Oh, I remember." She smiled, "I also remember you being a nervous wreck every time I'd walk in. You didn't even want to make eye contact with me! I thought you hated me or something, who knew you were actually madly in love with me." I felt my cheeks heating up as I remembered that memory as well. "Yup, and you'd blush just like that!" She teased and cupped my cheeks.

"Yeah, and now you're stuck with me!" I said as I closed the distance and crashed our lips together.

"Forever, I hope." She smirked then pulled away at the sound of Noah's voice.

"Hey ladies!" Noah called as he strolled up to us looking as handsome as ever. "Glad you guys could make it; I know New York's beloved lesbian couple is super busy beating up paparazzi and winning awards and shit." He teased and pulled Santana into a hug first and whispered something into her ear then pulled me into a hug next. I was beginning to question their whole exchange when the lights started to dim in the building. "Oh, here's the first act!" He cheered. I focused on the stage, but no one came out. I guess everyone was starting to get confused as well because the audience began to chatter the longer the spotlight focused on the empty stool on stage.

Suddenly the band began playing an upbeat sounding song but I was still confused because no one was on stage prepping to sing. That was when the spotlight left the stool on stage and made its way to land on Santana. She had the biggest of smiles on her face as Noah handed her a mic he had stashed in his jacket.

"Uhh, what's going on?" I gasped but I wasn't answered. Noah just patted my shoulder and gave me one last smirk before backing away while Santana just brought the mic up to her lips and began singing.

_You're stuck on me and my laughing eyes  
I can't pretend though I try to hide  
I like you, I like you_

"Oh my God, what's going on?" I gasped as my heart started racing. All eyes were on us as she took my hand and started slowly making her way through the crowd.__

I think I felt my heart skip a beat  
I'm standing here and I can hardly breathe  
You got me yeah, you got me

The way you take my hand is just so sweet  
And that crooked smile of yours  
It knocks me off my feet

"Santana, what the hell is going on?" I asked frantically but all she did was smile back at me and pull me closer and closer to the stage. A million thoughts were running through my head, I just didn't know what to think.__

Oh, I just can't get enough  
How much do I need to fill me up?  
It feels so good, it must be love  
It's everything that I've been dreaming of

I give up, I give in, I let go, let's begin  
'Cause no matter what I do  
Oh, my heart is filled with you 

We walked past Sam and Quinn, who I didn't even know were here, and then passed by a proud smiling Kurt. "Babe, I need to say hi to Sam and Quinn! They didn't even tell me they were going to be here!" I blurted as we passed them but Santana just kept singing and shook her head a little as she tried not to laugh.

_I can't imagine what it'd be like  
Living each day in this life  
Without you, without you_

One look from you, I know you understand  
This mess we're in, you know is just so out of hand

I gave up asking her questions because there was no way she'd answer any of them, I knew Santana long enough to know that by now. But I did get a little nervous when she began pulling me up the steps to the stage with her eyes still glued to me as she sang happily to me.

_I hope we always feel this way  
I know we will  
And in my heart I know that you'll always stay_

Oh, I just can't get enough  
How much do I need to fill me up?  
It feels so good, it must be love

She directed me to sit down on the lone stool in the center of the stage as she continued to hold on to my hand. I tried to keep my cool up until now, now is when I start _really_ freaking out. __

I give up, I give in, I let go, let's begin  
'Cause no matter what I do

Oh, I just can't get enough  
How much do I need to fill me up?  
It feels so good, it must be love  
It's everything that I've been dreaming of

She swayed back and forth as she sang out the chorus in such a sweet way and stared down at me with such love in her eyes that it made my heart melt. And just when I thought this song was just some type of _happy one year anniversary baby this is me declaring my love in front of everyone_, she plucked a little black box out from her boobs, earning herself a laugh from the crowd then popped it open as she sang the last of the song. __

I give up, I give in, I let go, let's begin  
'Cause no matter what I do  
Oh, my heart is filled with you

"Oh my God, Santana, what the hell is that?!" I gasped as she held the ring out to me with a bright smile on her face. The lights of the stage weren't the only thing causing me to sweat as she chuckled a bit and reached for my hand.

"This is an engagement ring, silly." She said a little out of breath from all the singing.

"Holy shit, what?!" I gasped as I felt my eyes beginning to water.

"Stop talking, baby, I'm trying to propose to you." She laughed. I nodded and pressed my lips together in hopes that I wouldn't interrupt anymore. "I don't think words could ever describe how much you mean to me, if it wasn't for you I'd still be trapped in some toxic relationship blind to what real love is." She said softly and it was then when I actually heard how nervous she was, it only made me smile even more. "You taught me how to love again, like _really_ love. You were so patient with me, even through my worse, you were always there to help show me my best again. I could always count on you no matter what and I'm still sorry that I didn't realize how much I loved you until much later. But I plan to make up that time for as long as you'll have me." I felt the hot tears begin to stream down my face as she continued to speak. "I love you, so, so much, Britt. Will you marry me?"

I could've sworn my heart stopped at hearing the words finally leave her mouth. I was so overjoyed that all I could do was kiss her. I pretty much tackled her with kisses that she almost dropped the ring. All this time I was thinking that she wasn't ready and her she was, planning this for who knows how long!

"So is that a yes?" Santana laughed nervously.

"That's a hell yes!" I cheered as the audience began to clap. "I love you, Santana, so much." I held out my hand to her so that she could slide on the ring that I hadn't even looked at yet. "No freaking way, what the?" I examined the ring, this couldn't be! I ran my finger over the side of the band and over the heart shaped diamond in the center. "H-How did you-this is the-what?" I looked up to find her smirking.

"Bella might have helped me picked it out.." She shrugged.

"That traitor.." I laughed shaking my head at my ring. "Is it weird that I thought about proposing to you today too?"

"Why didn't you?" She said as we walked off the side of the stage and joined Sam and Quinn at their usual booth.

"That day when Quinn joked about marriage you got like super freaked out, I thought you almost died you were choking so bad!" Santana nodded knowingly then kissed my cheek.

"All part of the plan, babycakes." She smirked leaving me completely shocked.

"Quinn was in on this too?!"

"Oh of course I was!" Quinn laughed, "Remember what I said, B? I give it a year and what's today? A whole year!" I shook my head at her enthusiasm. Damn that Quinn and always being right about everything..

"I can believe Quinn doing that, but Bella?" I laughed as Santana wrapped an arm around my waist. "That was the ultimate betrayal! She was like a double agent, so sneaky!"

"Hey, what Bella wants-"

"Bella gets." 

* * *

__A/N I hope you guys liked that, I practically spent the entire day writing this. Let me know what you guys think!

S's song was You Got Me by Colbie Caillat

also, check out my tumblr to see the first ever awesome Coffee Breaks fanart made by charcharcat inspired by the New Year's Eve kiss!

& p.s the title for the sequel will be The Perfect Blend, thanks to aLL4LeynA for the suggestion! Watch out for it!


End file.
